Perpetual Night Lexana Series
by Firefly01
Summary: Set in during and after the events of Commencement. Lana and Lex must deal with Edward Teague and the criminal case against them for the murder of Genevieve. They also have to deal with each other.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE:** Perpetual Night

**RATING:** NC-17 (for adult themes and explicit sexual content)

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing (dammit).

**SPOILERS:** Up to Fanatic, S5

**SUMMARY: **A different take on what happened during, and after the events of Commencement.

**PAIRINGS:** Lex and Lana;

**NOTES: **You should know also, that I've done away with the whole ship arc. Blah, we're just going to pretend that it never existed for this piece. So there's no ship, Brainiac, aliens or Zod. The meteor shower is just that, and isn't written as anything other than a natural disaster.

Feedback is very welcome, because it keeps me wanting to write more!!

**Chapter One: Blood in the Water**

He watched her plunge the stone into Genevieve's chest and then throw her head back in orgasmic pleasure. The defeated woman's eyes fluttered closed as her life blood pooled out of her body and spread around her in a hideous crimson wave. Lana's body shook, and she looked down at the dead woman beneath her and gasped. Her hands were covered in blood, and noticing this, she leaned back and scuttled away from the corpse in a strange sort of panic. She looked up and noticed Lex standing in her doorway. "I...," she tried to start, but her words dissolved into tears, and she held her hands away from her as if they were evil. Lex pulled himself out of his stunned silence, and rushed over to her, picking her up and away from the widening arc of blood on the floor. "I don't know what happened," Lana managed to squeak out, her eyes wide with fright.

"It's okay Lana," Lex assured her, as he pulled her up to stand. "I'm taking you home with me, and we'll figure this out, okay?" She nodded slowly, and walked woodenly towards the door. Lex wrapped an arm around her to lead her out, and Lana suddenly jerked away from him to retrieve the stone from Genevieve's chest. She put it in her purse calmly, and continued to the door with Lex. They went out the back way.

In the car, both were silent. Lana kept her hands clasped tightly together, and stared out the window at nothing. It worried him that she was being so quiet, and Lex began to suspect that she was in a state of shock. It took an incredible amount of control to drive the speed limit on the way to the mansion.

When they arrived, Lex pulled up to his own personal entrance, so that they wouldn't have to pass many people on the way to his bedroom. He got out of the car and walked around to Lana's side, where she hadn't moved an inch. He opened the door, and touched her shoulder slowly. "Lana?" She turned her head and looked at him as if she were unsure of who he was.

"Oh," she said simply, and looked around herself to be reminded of her current location. Car. Door open. Time to get out.

Lex led her carefully, and as quickly as he dared to his bedroom, locking the door behind them. He flicked the bathroom light on, and pulled her to the sink, finally getting a good look at her. Her hands were a mess, there was blood on her clothes, some in her hair, and worst of all, her eyes were completely blank. Definitely shock.

"We have to wash the blood off of you," he told her, though she gave no sign that she understood him at all. He put the hot water on full blast, removed her rings, and then, nervously, he took her shirt off. Setting his mind to the task at hand, was only made more difficult now that he had to look at her black lace covered breasts. She didn't seem to notice. With a quick sigh, he took both of her hands in his, and began scrubbing them in the sink. The water flashed red, and swirled down the drain. Once convinced that they were clean enough, he used a toothbrush to get all of the blood out from under her nails.

At some point during this job, Lana had become more lucid, and as he worked on her right hand, she reached up with her left and touched the burns on his chest. "What happened?" she asked. Lex turned to look at her, and was reassured to see concern in her eyes. "It's nothing," he said, finishing up with her nails. He tossed the toothbrush in the trash and turned the shower on.

"I have some things that I need to take care of," he told her. "You need to take a shower to make sure there's no blood left, and leave your clothes on the floor. We'll burn them later." She nodded, looking frightened, and he squeezed her arm lightly to comfort her. "I'll be back soon."

Lex called his security people to meet him at Lana's apartment, and then quickly dressed, all the while trying not to think about the fact that Lana was currently naked in his shower.

Halfway back to the Talon, he received word from security that Genevieve's body was gone and that Lionel was waiting for him. Instant fury invaded Lex, and he slammed his foot down on the accelerator. His father was making a grave mistake if he intended to harm Lana in any way.

"All your life, you've had a tendency to let the damsel lead you straight into the mouth of the dragon," Lionel said smugly. "Your feelings for Miss Lang, don't let them cripple your common sense son." Lex fought to keep the rage he felt under control as his father threatened to turn Lana in to the police in exchange for her stone. The door clicked closed as Lionel left, and Lex's mind began turning over rapidly, trying to decide what to do next. There was no way he would give his father Lana's stone. Certainly not since it was now a murder weapon.

First thing, he ordered his security to do a sweep of the room to be sure that his father's team hadn't missed anything (though he was sure they hadn't) and set about collecting some of Lana's things. He pulled a suitcase out of her closet, and packed in personal items and things for her to wear, getting a kinky satisfaction from rummaging through her underwear drawer. Clark Kent, eat your heart out.

The real treasure of the room however, was in her bedside table- her journal. Unable to resist, Lex flipped it open and began reading, moving through the entire book in less than half an hour. Much of it was venting about this or that, her true thoughts about her friends, her reluctance to have sex with Jason and quite a bit about Lex himself. He cringed at the (true) harsh comments of his character and gleaned hope from the obvious curiosity she had for him. Lana was definitely angry with him, but between the lines she gave away hints of the tender feelings she harbored.

_". . . that he would do such a thing to me is unbearable. Lex was the only one who didn't treat me like a child, and now here he is, acting as though I'm not as strong or as smart as he always said I was."_

_"I'm not surprised that neither Lex or Jason told me about China, but it still hurts. Jason is my boyfriend, we're supposed to trust each other, and Lex used to say that I could tell him anything. It's unfortunate that that doesn't go both ways."_

_"I don't know how to feel about Lex, or Alexander, or whoever, saying that he wants me. I guess deep down, I always suspected that Lex really only wanted me for sex. Everyone told me that no man like Lex would buy the Talon for me if he didn't want to get something out of it. I guess I just thought that if I ignored that, then I wouldn't have to deal with it."_

_"Lex stopped by to say that he was sorry about Evan's death and promised to use the research to help other children. It's just like him to make me so angry, and then do something that is so good that I feel completely confused as to what my problem was with him in the first place."_

_"Sometimes I think he's the only one who understands what it feels like to be alone."_

Lex decided against bringing the book because he didn't want Lana to realize that he'd read it, and instead tucked it back into the drawer. He finished packing and returned to the mansion.

When he reached his bedroom, the sight of Lana sitting on his bed nearly gave him a coronary. Her hair was still wet, and she was dressed in one of his robes, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "I brought some of your things so that you . . ." He stopped mid-sentence as he neared, and grimaced when he could see her hands better. She'd scrubbed them nearly raw. Lex sat down next to her, and picked her chin up to look into her eyes.

Tears made rivers down her cheeks as she held his gaze. "What did you do?" he asked softly. Her body shivered as her emotions finally took hold of her, and giant sobs racked her body. He held her close and let her cry into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she kept saying, and he soothed her as best he could.

"You did nothing wrong Lana." She tried to object, but he hushed her. "You did what anyone in your situation would do. She would have killed you otherwise."

"I don't want to go to jail," she whimpered.

"You won't," he assured her, and leaned back slightly to look at her. "Now you have to trust me. We've had our differences in the past, but you know that I would never let anything happen to you." He brushed her tears away. "I'm going to take care of this, I promise."

She looked into his eyes searchingly.

"I promise," he repeated.

With Lana settled into a guest room near his, Lex finally started to relax, and took stock of the day. Jason and Genevieve were both dead, and Lana was finally staying in his house. His father needed to be dealt with, but other than that, things actually looked pretty good. He would have to be very careful if he wanted to keep a positive spin on the situation with Lana. Surely, the possibility of incarceration would keep her under control.

So many variables to consider though, and his head ached. The warm shower was comforting, but the burns on his chest were painful, and he switched the water regrettably to cold. Even that couldn't erase the memory of half naked Lana though, and by the time he was climbing into bed, it's all he could think about.

An hour ticked by painfully slow, and Lex began to suspect that sleep would never come. His brain simply wasn't willing to shut off yet, despite the glass of brandy that he'd downed. He'd given Lana a few sips of it as well, and chuckled slightly when she gasped at its burn. He tried to picture her now, asleep in her bed, and wanted so very much to check on her.

He had watched her sleeping once. A year ago, she'd come by to talk to him about the Talon, and had fallen asleep on one of his couches while waiting for him to emerge from a business meeting. She looked like an angel, lying there in the firelight and he'd brushed her hair away from her face lightly. She'd awakened then, embarrassed and sleepy, and he thought there was nothing more beautiful.

The sound of his door clicking open tore Lex away from his memories. Just before he shouted at whoever was entering without knocking, he realized that it was Lana and kept quiet. She closed the door behind her, and crept slowly to the bed, stopping for a moment, unsure of what to do. He didn't make a move, and stayed silent, pretending to be sleeping. Finally, she took an uneasy breath, and pulled the covers back on her side, climbing in carefully so as not to wake him. She curled up in a ball and settled in to sleep.

Well, thought Lex. That was unexpected.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Fire From God**

The alarm blared at 5 a.m. and Lex smacked the off button a little harder than he meant to. It had been a restless night. If he'd actually been sleeping, Lana's constant tossing and turning might have driven him crazy. She was plagued with nightmares, and during one particularly bad one, Lex rested his hand on her back to calm her. He didn't dare get too close, for fear of driving her away, but kept his arm outstretched just in case she needed it.

The morning passed awkwardly. They ate breakfast together, with Lex attempting to make lame small talk. Preoccupied, she just smiled politely and played with her food. By 9:00 a.m. Lana had tentatively agreed to stay with him. She worried about what to say to Jason, but Lex assured her that he would take care of him. He neglected to mention that he'd seen him shot dead by his father the day before. At 10:00 a.m. Lex was tucking Lana's stone safely away in his vault. By the time 11:00 a.m. rolled around, the call had come in about the meteor shower, and Lex arranged for Lana to leave by helicopter at 12.

More of Lana's things arrived from her apartment (she feared for their safety there), and while she busied herself putting them away, Lex dealt with his father. By no small miracle, Lex had been able to keep a lid on Lana's presence, and Lionel now pressured him with her whereabouts.

"I haven't even seen Lana Lang," Lex lied. "She's probably on the run, halfway to Costa Rica by now."

"Hmm, well a face like Lana's isn't easy to hide," Lionel answered. It was obvious that he knew Lex wasn't telling the truth. "It's just a matter of time before she catches the attention of some customs official."

Lex tried to tempt his father with secrets of the Kiwatche Caves, but Lionel didn't bite. Suddenly, Lionel's entire body shook with seizures, and he fell to the floor, flopping like a fish. A small stone fell from his breast pocket, and when Lex tried to pick it up, it sent a shock through him that knocked him across the room.

That lying bastard had a stone after all. His eyes glassed over, and he lay comatose on the floor. "Mr. Luthor?" questioned one of the few remaining members of Lex's security. "Have my father moved upstairs," Lex told him.

"But Sir! We're evacuating . . ."

"Do it!" They rushed to do as he said, and truly, he didn't care if his father lived or died. Less to worry about if the latter occurred.

He didn't burden Lana with the news of his father's sudden illness, but he did hurry her along so that he wouldn't have to worry about her either. Now that he had two stones, he would be visiting those caves as soon as she was safely away.

"I'll meet you in Metropolis," he said to her as she climbed aboard the helicopter. Sending her away without him made him feel like a fool. "What you're not coming?" she asked, surprised.

"I have a pressing matter to take care of- my father. He's here and sick, and I can't leave him." She shook her head, and began to climb back out. "Well, then I'll stay," she said, making him feel like even more of an asshole.

"No, Lana, I can't worry about you too. Go. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Lex reached over and fastened her seat belt, pulling it tight. She looked unsure, and Lex took her face in his hands. "Your safety is too important to me," he told her, smoothing her hair back. "You mean a lot more to me than you know." She looked surprised, and didn't answer back.

"We can't wait any longer Mr. Luthor," the pilot shouted at him, and Lex regretfully pulled away and shut the door. He stood and watched as she flew away.

Both stones were missing when Lex got back to his study, and his vault door looked like it had been ripped away by King Kong. He'd gone to the caves anyway, thinking that whoever stole them would go there, and all he got for his efforts was a blinding light and a cave-in.

He must have blacked out for a while, because by the time he managed to claw his way out of the caves, the meteor shower was long over. Plumes of black smoke curled in the sky above the town. As he drove back to the mansion, the devastation amazed him. He didn't remember what Smallville looked like after the first meteor shower, but it couldn't have been worse than this. Fields were ripped apart, houses were gutted, and several buildings on the main drag were on fire. He hoped for Lana's sake that the Talon wouldn't catch.

The mansion itself took two hits in the back. The kitchens, and Lex's own wing were fine, but the pool and gardens would need some fixing up. At least the castle wasn't on fire. Lionel was safe.

It was almost an hour before news came in that Lana's helicopter never made it to Metropolis. A sickening feeling settled in Lex's gut, and he gave the order to get people out looking for the crash site. Not willing to sit around and wait for news, Lex went as well, and scoured the fields along the helicopter's intended route.

When they found it, Lex fought the urge to vomit. It had crashed, and he could clearly see two dead bodies mangled inside. Lana was not one of them.

"Look around for her!" he shouted at the search party. There was debris everywhere, and each time Lex leaned over to check underneath some, he cringed, expecting to find her dead.

"She's here!" someone yelled, and Lex ran over to where they were. Lana lay face down under some bushes near the treeline. He carefully pulled her out and turned her over, wincing when he saw the blood covering her face. She had a severe looking head wound as well, and her thigh had been sliced open on impact.

She was unconscious, but breathing, and Lex cradled her in his arms until the paramedics came.

Lana didn't wake up for four days. During that time, Lex stayed at her bedside as much as possible, wanting to be there when she awakened. He had so much to do though, that he found himself away more often than not.

The meteor shower proved to be excellent cover, and after leaning on his father's security team for Genevieve's mortal remains, he had her placed in the Smallville hotel that she'd been staying at so frequently. It had sustained massive damage, and there were many such bodies found.

A giant surprise came when Lex learned that Jason had not died, and had actually gone and held the Kents hostage, getting himself pancaked by a meteor in the process. That was better than what had originally happened anyway.

Lana had several visitors while in the hospital. Lois showed up at various times, and Lana's father Henry Small stopped in to see her once. Her Aunt Nell arrived from Metropolis the day after she was admitted, and cried on Lex's shoulder for an hour. Lex wasn't sure if she really needed his support, or if she just liked the smell of his money, but he assured her that he was taking good care of her niece just the same.

A suspiciously missing person was Clark, and it puzzled Lex that no one seemed able to find out where he was. He'd found Chloe in a hospital in the Yukon, and as strange as that was, he assumed that Clark would also be there. At any rate, he was far away from Lana, and that suited Lex just fine.

When Lana finally did wake up, Lex was not there. He hated himself for that, and worried that her being alone would do a lot to undo all of the progress he felt he'd made with her. As soon as he could get away from Luthorcorp, he came to her bedside where she was sleeping again. That figured.

The morning sun streamed through the window, and groups of flowers sat on every possible surface. Lana had the only private room in the hospital. Lex dropped into the familiar chair next to her bed, and looked at her. Her color looked better, and the bandages on her head were clean.

He reached out and took her cool hand in his, warming it. He stroked her fingers and relished this intimacy with her, as if he were her lover waiting for her to awaken. It was funny to him that such a move would be considered so bold. Lex Luthor- ridiculously happy to just hold her hand.

Just then she whimpered, and her eyes blinked open. She shut them again quickly, and tuned her face away. "What's wrong?" Lex asked her.

"The light hurts," Lana mumbled, and Lex stood and closed the blinds. "Better?" he asked, re-seating himself. She opened her eyes again slowly and focused on him.

"Yeah," she said, putting a hand to her head. "What happened?"

"The helicopter you were in crashed. You have a pretty bad concussion, some cuts and bruises, and stitches in your thigh."

She groaned, probably at the mention that something else had happened to her leg. "You've had visitors," he told her, in an effort to cheer her up. "Nell came, Lois, and your Dad even showed up day before yesterday."

"My Dad was here?"

"Yeah, he brought you some flowers." He nodded towards the window sill, and Lana looked over, her eyes widening at all of the colors. "Well, he really cleaned up didn't he?" Lex just smiled at her, despite the fact that many of the flowers had been purchased by himself.

Lex told her about what he had done with Genevieve's body, and then had the unpleasant task of telling her about Jason. Despite their growing distance from each other, Lana shed tears at the news of his death, and Lex sat on the edge of her bed to hold her. Later on, she asked about the Talon and was relieved to learn that it was okay, suffering only minor smoke damage from the nearby fires.

"I guess after it's cleaned up, I can go home then," she told him, and Lex felt a stab of panic. "Lana," he began carefully. "There are bound to be questions about Genevieve's death, and since you were the last person to see her, I think it's best that you stay with me for now so that I can protect you."

"I thought that everything looked normal though. Genevieve, she . . ."

"Genevieve what?" came a new voice from the door. Lex and Lana both looked up and were startled to see Edward Teague entering. He was an imposing figure, standing over six feet tall, broad shouldered with a large build. His dark brown hair was neat, and his suit was finely pressed. He had an authoritative manner that reminded Lex of his own father.

"Genevieve what?" he repeated, and Lex stood to greet him.

"Genevieve was an impressive woman, and it's a shame that she's dead." he said matter of factly, and added. "I'm sorry for your loss."

The two men sized each other up, saying nothing. Finally Edward turned to Lana and smiled. "It's good to see that you are doing so well," he told her. "I wanted to see for myself the place where Genevieve and Jason died, and they spoke so often of you lately, that I wanted to wish you well in person."

Lana nodded nervously. Lex stood between Edward and the bed, and was ready to pounce if he took one more step towards Lana. "I would like to talk to you about them, their final days, if you don't mind," Edward continued. "Where can I reach you?"

"She'll be staying with me," Lex answered for her, and Lana didn't argue. "You can call her there."

Edward smiled tightly at Lex. "Oh, I'll be in town for a while, I'll just stop by."

"We look forward to it."

He turned and left the room without saying goodbye, and Lana shivered. Lex looked down at her and hoped that she hadn't looked so frightened the whole time. "I think you should stay with me," he said.

Lana nodded, and covered her eyes with her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Enemy of My Enemy**

When it came time for Lana to leave the hospital, Lex came and picked her up himself. For one, he wanted to strengthen their connection to each other, and for two, he didn't want to take the chance of someone else like Lois or Nell coming to get her and taking her home with them.

As per hospital policy, Lana had to be in a wheelchair for her departure, which annoyed her, but pleased Lex, because she really couldn't walk far anyway. Since she was Lana though, of course she wanted to try.

"I just don't see why I can't walk out. It's not like I'm running a marathon or anything," she complained. Lex tried not to laugh at her, but the situation was humorous. She sat on the edge of the hospital bed in in loose fitting clothes, a bandaged head and her eyes partially closed because she couldn't stand the light. Marathon indeed.

"It's fairly dark in here compared to out there, and if you're sitting, you can put your jacket over your head and not run the risk of bagging an old lady."

Lana glared. Lex smirked.

"Sit down. You can still be hell on wheels."

She sat with a huff, and Lex pushed her out into the hall, where she immediately covered her face with her jacket. The hospital was busy, and it was a long trek, but finally they made it outside to his car. He helped her in, and then climbed into the driver's seat, pulling away from the curb slowly. Lana groaned from the motion of the car, and Lex hoped she wouldn't get sick.

When they arrived, Lex carried her into her room. She was feeling very sick by now, and lost all of her fire from before. The room was dark and cool, and he put her into bed gently. He took off her shoes, and covered her with a blanket before quickly introducing Lana to her new nurse. Always polite, she said hello and then closed her eyes to sleep.

It was better to have her home. Better because of her own personal comfort, but also because Lex felt that he had more control over the situation. He didn't have to worry about random visitors coming and going, and it was easier to keep an eye on her, when she was just down the hall.

Her being ill, was actually sort of a treat. Normally she was suspicious and almost leery of Lex, unfortunately, but with her head spinning, and her leg keeping her from moving around much, she allowed herself to be taken care of.

"Don't you get tired of playing nurse maid?" she asked him. It had been six days since the meteor shower.

"Coming to talk to you isn't exactly wearing me out," he said with a grin. "Besides, your well-being is important to me."

She smiled carefully at that, and gave a nervous look. "Lex..." she started.

"Lana. I know what you think, and you don't have to worry." She looked up at him, and he hoped he looked sincere. "I'm not expecting anything out of you other than hopefully the return of your friendship." (And your gratitude, dammit. A striptease would be a nice way to start.)

"Is that why you're helping me with Genevieve? Because you want to be friends again?"

"I will always be here for you Lana, regardless of how you feel about me. You can trust me."

"I want to believe that."

Lex sighed, and then decided to retreat. Better to not get in too deep with this stuff right now. "You should get some rest," he said, getting up from the bed.

Lana gave a slight laugh, and looked away. "That would be nice," she said. She raised her eyes back up to his, and he saw tears forming. "I just can't get it out of my head," she whispered. "Everytime I close my eyes, all I see is blood."

Lex sat back down and took her hand. "Lana, if you need to talk to someone, I can get a therapist for you. Just say the word and I can have the best in Metropolis here within the hour." She shook her head and pulled her hand away from him.

"They could prescribe you something to help you sleep. . ." he tried to continue, but she cut him off. "Thanks, Lex, but I don't need anyone to help me." She leaned back on her pillow, and turned away from him. Somehow he had lost footing with her again.

"Lana . . ."

"I'm fine, Lex. Just tired is all."

He had been dismissed. Defeated, Lex got up and left the room.

Where he enjoyed knowing that Lana was here, and letting him (sort of) take care of her, Lex did not like that his father was still firmly ensconced in catatonia. Seeing Lionel brought down and put in prison the year before had been liberating in a way that Lex had never known, but this was...strange.

His father had always been a larger than life character, and when Lex looked into those blank eyes now, it scared him. He'd never admit it, but as much as he hated him, and wouldn't mind if he were gone, he didn't like seeing him broken. Made him think of his own future, and whether or not he himself was unbreakable.

Since he didn't remember the mental break he'd suffered from the year before, he tried to pretend like it didn't happen, and Lionel was only a reminder. It seemed fitting that he ship his father off to Belle Reeve, with the instruction that he be notified if his condition changed.

Out of sight, out of mind. Mostly.

A week after Lana came home from the hospital, she began getting out of bed. The light didn't bother her quite as much, but she did wear sunglasses outside. This is where Lex found her, sitting alone on a bench in the garden. As he watched her from afar, she looked peaceful at least. Maybe even content.

She was wearing a light blue sundress, and it amused Lex that she had kicked off her shoes, and was now pinching grass with her toes. She sat in the shade under a large, wide-spread Redbud tree. Her hair was up, bandage free, and the light breeze lifted and tickled the baby hairs that had escaped her grasp.

As much as Lex wanted Lana to live beside him so that he could shower her with all that his wealth had to offer, another part of him wanted to see her like this forever. Untouched and untainted by commercialism, simply beautiful in just being alive.

She turned to look at him when his footsteps alerted her of his presence. "Hey," he said, sitting down beside her.

"Hey," she answered. She was still ill at ease with him, and fidgeted with a fold in her dress.

"It's good to see that you're well enough to go outside."

She smiled at that. "Yeah, I was starting to get a bit of cabin fever."

"Well, you know the whole grounds are open to you," he offered. "Feel free to do anything you want." She kept quiet after that, and Lex realized that what she wanted was probably to not be here. He touched her bare shoulder, and then began to leave.

"You know what you need?"

"What?" he asked, turning back around. Her back was still to him.

"One of those ponds," she said.

"Ponds? We already have several."

She turned around and rested her arm on the back of the bench. "No, one of those Japanese affairs with fish in it. You need one of those."

He smiled broadly at her, amused again, and delighted in her interest. "Well, you should talk to Henry about that. The head gardener, and tell him what you want."

Lana's face briefly registered shock. "You're just going to let me tear a hole in your yard and put a pond in it?"

"I told you to do whatever you wanted," he laughed, and walked away before she could protest. As soon as he was back inside, he called Henry and instructed him to follow Lana's directions.

What started off being an unusually good day, turned sour when Lex received word that Edward Teague had just passed the front gate. He waited for him in his office.

"Mr. Teague," Lex greeted him when he arrived.

"Call me Edward," he said extending his hand. Lex took it firmly, and noted the the powerful handshake in the older man. "Lex, I don't want to take up too much of your time, so let me get to the point of my visit."

"Please," Lex said, offering Edward a seat. He walked over to his wet bar and poured himself a drink. "Can I offer you something?"

"Thank you," Edward replied, and Lex brought him over a glass. "I appreciate you giving my son a job like you did," Edward began.

"He was a valuable employee."

"Yes, I imagine he would be. Fine boy, always. Stubborn, but then I probably don't need to tell you that." He paused for a moment, and then went on. "I was surprised that he left Paris like he did, but I suppose women can do that to a man. Cloud their judgement. Make them do... unreasonable things."

"Lana is a special girl."

"Yes, I see you're quite taken with her," Edward said.

"Lana and I have been friends for several years now. It's why I offered Jason the job in the first place."

"I see. And what did he do for you exactly?" Edward was all lawyer.

"He was head of my special projects team."

"And what does that job entail?"

"I sent him out to collect artifacts and to gather information about historical objects that I was interested in buying."

"And Jason was qualified for that?

"What he lacked for in credentials, he more than made up for in experience. I know that he went on many such expeditions with your late wife." The mention of her, very briefly distracted Edward.

"Yes, she did enjoy the hunt as well." Edward took a sip of his brandy, and looked thoughtfully at the amber liquid before continuing. "My wife was also here several times. What did she want?"

"She was concerned about Jason, and wanted me to station him back overseas."

"And you didn't do that?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Jason was more valuable to me here. I took what Genevieve asked to heart, but in the end I had to do what I felt was right for my project. And that was to have Jason report back to me directly."

"And your father," Edward said. "Did Jason have any contact with him?"

"He may have. Since November, my father has been here."

"Ah, yes. Surprising that his conviction was overturned." Inside, Lex flinched. He still hadn't discovered how his father managed that.

"Yes, it was."

"And my wife. Did she have any contact with your father?" Edward was very good at disguising his emotions, but Lex detected a hint of something in his voice. Was it anger?

"If she did, I never heard about it." Lex lied smoothly, and Edward took his time deciding whether or not he believed him. Just then, Lana entered the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had company," she said nervously.

"Lana, you remember Mr. Teague?"

"Yes, hello." She stood awkwardly for a moment, and then moved to sit next to Lex.

"I was wondering Lana, if you wouldn't mind telling me about Jason's last days. Since you spent the most time with him and all."

She fidgeted slightly, and cleared her throat. "Well, we weren't really seing each other as much just before the meteor shower."

"Oh, have a fight?"

"No, not..not really. We just sort of grew apart I guess. We originally planned to go to Kansas State together in the Fall, but I had second thoughts, and I guess that upset him. Also, you know he was very busy."

"Yes, working with your friend Lex here." Edward sat back in his seat with a thoughtful expression. Lex was proud that Lana was doing so well under interrogation.

"And you met with my wife on occasion?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about the last time you saw her."

Lana took a breath. "That was actually a few months ago. She was checking on Jason. I didn't see her very often at all."

"Yes, well, the reason that I ask Miss Lang, is that I've expressed concerns to the police about the circumstances surrounding my son and wife's deaths, and they have agreed to investigate."

Lex leaned forward. "Then why come here now? Why not let the police ask their own questions?" he asked.

"Oh they will, and actually, I was hoping that the two of you would go and give a statement to them. As soon as possible."

Lex stood, indicating that their meeting was at a close. "As you know, Lana was recently hospitalized, and doesn't need to make a trip out that far until she's fully recovered."

Edward nodded, and finished his drink before rising as well. "That would be fine," he said briskly. "Thank you both for your time."

After Edward was gone, Lex poured himself another drink. "Oh my God," he heard Lana say. He walked back over to her, and sat down, laying his hand on her knee. "Lana, it's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Lana stayed mostly in her room, appearing only briefly at dinner. Lex tried to reassure her that his army of lawyers were on the ready, but she didn't talk much, and excused herself early, complaining of a headache.

Lex awakened that night when he heard the click of his door. His back was to her, but he knew it was Lana, and she slipped quietly into bed. Lex smiled and drifted off back to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Trust and Safety **

The moments Lex and Lana spent together the next day were predictably awkward. As she had the time before, Lana made no mention about sleeping in the bed with Lex. He didn't reference it either, but was certainly having a hard time not thinking of it. She'd still been sleeping when he got up in the morning, and he didn't wake her. She slept straight through breakfast, and Lex was glad that she was finally getting the rest she needed.

Work kept him busy most of the day. Not only did Luthorcorp require his attention, but he also spent a good portion of the afternoon dealing with F.E.M.A. Cutting through all of the red tape that surrounds that organization was something akin to slaying a dragon. Lex even spent his own money trying to get help into Smallville, not that anyone would actually thank him. He told himself that he did it because it was the right thing to do, but deep down he knew that it was only to impress them.

Well, at least one of them.

By the time evening came around, Lana started to get jumpy. Every time Lex ran into her, she nearly vaulted out of her skin. During dinner, Lex finally decided to ask about it. "Lana, is something wrong?"

Cue the deer in the headlights look. "No, why?"

"Because you seem kind of nervous today."

She pushed her food around with her fork for a bit, struggling for an answer. "It's nothing," she finally said.

Lex didn't press her, and they finished dinner in silence. He didn't understand the reason for her nervousness until later that night when she crawled in bed with him again.

Three days in a row, they did the same dance. Lana would act skittish and aloof during the day, and then sneak into Lex's bed at night. It was confusing to him more than anything else. No woman had ever come to his bed without sex being the primary objective, and he wasn't really sure how to act. So he pretended like nothing was going on, and the dance continued.

The next day, Lana finally became well enough to leave the mansion. This made Lex nervous, but he knew he had to let her go of course. She had a driver, and he reported back to Lex with her whereabouts.

- 9:08 a.m. Departed Mansion

- 9:15 a.m. Arrived at Talon

- 9:40 a.m. Load bags in car

- 9:45 a.m. Departed Talon

- 9:55 a.m. Arrived at Kent Farm (to survey damage; nobody home)

- 10:13 a.m. Departed Kent Farm (left note on door; cell# included and invite to stay in Talon till farm repaired)

- 10:21 a.m. Arrived at Smallville High School (volunteered for recovery)

Noted by Service Detail- Helped to serve lunch; organized dispersal of Fema vouchers; read to children.

- 4:16 p.m. Departed Smallville High

- 4:35 p.m. Returned to Mansion

"So what did you do today?" Lex asked during dinner.

"Oh, I went to Smallville High to help out. I can't believe there are still so many people staying there." Lana had a blush to her cheeks that he hadn't seen in a while.

"I imagine there will continue to be, until they can get their houses fixed."

"Yeah, those poor people. To lose so much like that." Lana looked thoughtful for a moment, and then met Lex's eyes. "Lex, I know that you've done a lot to help. . ." She paused and smiled. "It's a good thing."

Thinking quickly to cover up his pleasure at her compliment, Lex said, "Well, I'll make sure and knock off a bank tomorrow so my reputation won't be ruined."

Lana laughed. "You've done that already," she said, still smiling.

"Oh right." The memory of Tina Greer morphing herself to look like Lex so that she could rob the Smallville Bank was one that Lex didn't cherish. Everyone just assumed that Lex really did commit the crime, and weren't surprised about it. There were very few people who believed in him, and Lana, thankfully, had been one of them.

She did pretend to hide her jewelry when he stopped by her house to talk to Nell though.

Lex smiled to himself and glanced up at Lana. She was smiling too.

After dinner, Lana retired to a small drawing room in the East wing, a place that had always been her favorite. Many times when she came over in the past, she would entertain herself there while waiting for Lex to emerge from his study. Unlike the main drawing room near the dining hall, this one had a more modern touch that included a media center and its own private bar. It was also very close to "their" bedroom.

Henry Shepherd, the man who oversaw maintenance in all of the gardens on the property and commanded a workforce of 75 to take care of them, recommended a landscaper named Isaburo Kishida to design the Japanese pond that Lana wanted.

Convinced that he was the right man for the job, Lex hired him on the spot and paid in advance for him to come to the mansion and go over his plans with Lana, with whom the final say on the project resided. Mr. Kishida would be flying in from Japan on Saturday.

Lex stepped into Lana's drawing room to tell her about the news and found her fast asleep while a re-run of Friends flickered across the large television screen. He clicked off the tv, and carefully picked her up. Her eyes flew open in sleepy panic at first, but seeing that it was Lex who had her, she closed her eyes again, and laid her head on his shoulder.

After a moment's hesitation, Lex carried Lana to his bedroom.

Since the covers had not yet been pulled down, he set Lana down on the bed, and covered her with an extra blanket. He smoothed her hair back and wanted to kiss her, but didn't. It was still too soon for that.

Two and a half hours later, Lex decided to call it a night himself. It was odd, knowing that Lana was already there sleeping, and that she wouldn't be sneaking in later.

When Lex got in the shower, he was shocked to see that it was already wet. When he got out, he saw Lana's clothes and towel in the hamper. Some time after he left her, she must have risen, showered, dressed and gone back to bed.

Exhausted, but with his curiosity piqued, Lex slipped between his sheets and turned over on his side so that he could look at Lana. The room was dark, but bright enough so that he could clearly view the rise and fall of her body as she lay sleeping.

Her upper torso was not covered, and the thin straps of her top hugged her shoulders. They seemed pornographic almost- those tiny straps that obscured his view of her shoulders. He so wanted to brush them aside and touch the smooth skin they hid. To lay kisses along their line and up to her neck.

Lana's hair spilled out over her pillow behind her, it's smell permeating everything. It was familiar to Lex, that smell, but it's touch was mostly a mystery. The only times he'd been permitted to touch her hair were during quick hugs and, here lately, comforting pats, and those touches were cursory at best.

What he wouldn't give to thrust his hands into that hair, to bury his face in the crook of her neck and breathe it in. To grasp it while he pulled her close for a kiss. To let it waterfall around him as she leaned down during lovemaking.

His eyes traveled over her body, memorizing the parts he could see, and imagining the parts he couldn't. He wanted all of it, had dreamed of it, and now here it was. So close, but still so fucking far away.

Lex liked the breakfast room. It was much smaller and more private than the formal dining hall. The table was only large enough to seat six, and here, Lana sat on his right, rather than at the far end. To provide for her comfort, they had been taking all of their meals in this room.

It was cheerful in the morning. Sunlight streamed through the windows, with the view opening out to the Rose Garden where Lana often took walks in the evening.

Lex sipped his orange juice as he read the mornings copy of The Daily Planet. He peeked over the top of the paper at Lana, who was chasing a grape around with her fork. She tried stabbing at it quietly, but it continued to elude her. Frustrated, she picked it up with her fingers and popped it into her mouth.

"Slippery little bastards," Lex said with a grin.

She looked up startled, and laughed a little, saying only, "yeah."

He waited until she was done eating to bring up their impending trip to Metropolis. "I think we should go today," he said. "But only if you're feeling well enough. If you're not sure, then we'll wait another couple of days."

She thought that over and said, "No, today will be fine. Better to get it over with."

They left by helicopter at 10 o'clock. Lex was sympathetic to Lana's fear over getting into one again since the last one crashed. He'd been the same way for several months after surviving a plane wreck two years before. The helicopter though was the fastest way to get them to Metropolis and back, and Lex wanted to keep Lana's travel time to a minimum. Her hand was a vice grip on his arm during the entire trip.

They met with their lawyers first.

"Now I'll be going with you, and I'll tell you what you can and can't answer. Don't offer up any information, other than exactly what they ask for." The portly man with salt and pepper hair flipped through a stack of papers on his desk. "Now, are you sure Mr. Luthor that you want me to defend you and Miss Lang together? It might be beneficial if the two of you have separate legal representation."

"Yes," answered Lex without thinking.

"What benefits would there be?" Lana asked. Lex glanced over at her, but she kept her eyes on the lawyer.

"Depends on the evidence in the case. If one of you have more evidence piled against them, the other could suffer for it. In that case, one of you would benefit greatly by not being tied down."

Lana smiled politely and deflated. "We'll stay together," Lex said resolutely.

The conference room of the police station was a dreary, uncomfortable place. The walls and long table were stark white, and the carpet was gray. Despite the growing number of times that Lex had been in this room, he still wasn't used to its coldness. Most recently, he'd been questioned here after his last lawyer was brutally murdered, and he'd been almost barbecued by a fanatic ex-lover.

Lana sat first, followed by Lex and their lawyer. The police officers were already waiting. A woman in plain clothes tapped a tape recorder, and turned it on. "Tuesday, June 14, 2005. Statements given by Lex Luthor and Lana Lang in regards to the deaths of Jason and Genevieve Teague." The woman looked up, and a male officer at her side began the questioning.

"We'll start with you Miss Lang. Did you know the deceased, Jason Teague?"

"Yes, he was my boyfriend."

"And how long did you date?"

"We met in Paris last Summer, and were mostly together until his death."

"What does 'mostly' mean, Miss Lang?"

"We didn't break up, but we weren't really seeing much of each other anymore."

"And how long had that been going on?"

"A few months."

"Did you see Mr. Teague on the day of his death?"

"No. I hadn't actually seen him in several weeks. He called twice, but I didn't answer the phone and he didn't leave a message."

"Were you angry with him?"

"No. We just weren't seeing each other anymore."

The police officer jotted some notes down in a notebook of his, and then turned his attention to Lex. "Mr. Luthor, did you know the deceased, Jason Teague?"

"Yes."

"And in what capacity did you know him?"

"He was my employee for several months."

"He was on the Luthorcorp payroll?"

"Yes."

"And when is the last time that you saw him Mr. Luthor?"

"It was a week before the meteor shower," Lex lied smoothly. "I wanted him to travel to Rome to look at an artifact that I was thinking about purchasing. He seemed stressed, but said that he would go."

"And did he go to Rome?"

"No. His ticket was never used. All attempts to contact him after that day were unsuccessful."

"When you say that he was 'stressed' what do you mean?"

"Jason Teague arrived late to a meeting with me, and didn't initially agree to go to Rome. He said he had business here to take care of, but wouldn't say what. I reminded him that going to Rome for me was his job, and he reluctantly agreed to go."

"Was he upset about going?"

"No. He seemed preoccupied."

"With business at home?"

"Yes."

"And he didn't say what that was?"

"No."

The officer jotted more notes down in his book, and then flipped through some pages of a document that he had in a brown folder nearby. "I'm going to switch now to Genevieve Teague," he said. "Miss Lang, how well did you know Mrs. Teague?"

"Hardly at all. I met her a few times, that's it."

"And when was the last time?"

"Several months ago. Jason had been in the hospital, and she came to check on him."

"Did you have any other contact with her?"

"No."

"The mother of your boyfriend never talked to you? Didn't call, didn't send an email?"

"No. I don't think she liked me much."

"And why is that?"

"When I left Paris last Summer and came home, Jason followed me. Genevieve would have rathered he stay there I guess."

"Did she say that?"

"No, but he did."

"And did you like Genevieve much?"

The lawyer sat forward. "Now, I don't see why that's relevant. Miss Lang hardly ever saw her." He turned to Lana and said, "Don't answer that." She nodded.

The officer scribbled in his book for several minutes and then turned back to Lex. "And what was your relationship to Mrs. Teague?"

"There was none. Her son was in my employ, and that was it."

"Did you ever meet her?"

"Yes, she came to my office twice to talk about Jason's work performance. She said that she'd met me when I was a child, but I don't recall that."

"Why would she make a visit to talk about Jason when she could have called?"

"I have no idea."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that Jason was a fine employee. She wanted to know if there was a chance that he could be relocated overseas, but I told her no. I needed Jason here." He could feel Lana glance at him, but he didn't look back.

"And why did she want that?"

"She didn't say."

"And have you had any other contact with Mrs. Teague? Call? Email?"

"No. We had nothing else to say to each other."

The officer, wrote down a few last things, and then flipped through the pages of a document he had in a brown envelope nearby. "This is the Medical Examiner's reports on Jason and Genevieve Teague. They were released this morning. Jason Teague's Death is not suspicious. He was crushed to death by a falling meteor, and the report confirms that. His reasoning for being at the Kent Farm brandishing a weapon is a question that will still need to be answered though."

He looked up at Lex and Lana, who said nothing, and continued. "Genevieve Teague's cause of death is by exsanguination. She was pierced by a sharp object directly into the heart, and she bled out. Considering how much blood was left in the body at the time of autopsy, the M.E. believes that she lived anywhere from a few minutes, to up to an hour after the injury."

Lana's face went at least three shades paler.

"When crime scene investigators visited the site where her body was discovered this morning, they were not able to find the rest of her blood anywhere. There hasn't been any rain, so it could not have washed away. It is our belief that Genevieve may have been injured elsewhere, and then placed in the ruins of the Smallville Hotel."

"Are my clients being charged with a crime?" the lawyer asked.

"Not at this time," said the officer.

Everyone stood to leave, and as they walked down the hall to the elevator, Lana grasped Lex's hand and held it tight. The trio were silent until they left the building. "Talk to no one," he said while getting into his car. "If they contact you, call me immediately and keep your mouths shut till I get there."

Lex and Lana got into the limo, and Lana put her head in her hands. "I don't feel good," she said quietly. Lex put an arm around her, and felt her body shaking. She leaned into him for support.

Later that night, Lana held onto Lex tightly, and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms firmly around her, and though he knew she was scared, he couldn't help but feel triumphant.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The World I Know**

Lex kept Lana away from lawyer talk for the next several days. His source at the police precinct kept him informed of the progress of the investigation, and so far it was moving along sluggishly. No doubt they were reluctant to go after them without a mountain of evidence, and that was something that they just didn't have.

Still, there were a few places that they could find some.

At home, things were surprisingly good. Lana was still somewhat aloof during the day, a mystery, and he kept close tabs on her while she was away. She worked at Smallville High quite a bit, helping with the never ending recovery efforts. She came home tired, but almost happy. She was talking to him more anyway, and that was wonderful.

Almost every evening, Lana walked through the Rose Garden. It was an egg shaped wonderland, full of almost every kind of rose you could imagine. From the house, a person would travel through the Italian Garden, which lay adjacent to the mansion, and then down the same path that led away to the tennis court to find it.

Lex often traveled this route to watch her from afar. She walked slowly down the twisting paths, seemingly lost in her thoughts. He particularly liked to view her before the lamps were lit, when the world draped itself in a purple haze called twilight.

"Why are you following me?" she asked on Thursday evening. She still hadn't turned around, and had given no hint that she'd seen him at all.

"I just thought I'd talk to you about your new pond," he said quickly.

"And yesterday?" she asked with a note of humor in her voice.

Caught. Lex picked up his pace a little to catch up with her. She caught his eye and he nodded a little, admitting defeat. They walked in silence, listening to the night animals sing.

"Lex," Lana said after several minutes. "I think I need to get a job." She laughed at that, and added, "Well, of course, I mean I know I do."

"Lana. . ." Lex started.

"I appreciate your help, but I don't want you to take care of me Lex." Lana stopped walking, and turned to him.

"What will the kids at Smallville High do without you?" he asked, referring to the children that Lana read stories to everyday.

"They're great, and I would miss them, but I feel like I'm only doing it to occupy myself, you know? I need something more. Something I can actually build on." She turned and they kept walking.

Lex felt a little panicked about her leaving, but knew it was crucial in making her stay. "Well, I was thinking of getting some of the Egyptian artifacts that I collected last Summer together for the Metropolis Museum. They've been wanting to add them to a new exhibit, and with your interest in that kind of thing, you could work on it with them."

"Really?"

"Well, it may not be exactly what you're asking for, but you'd be able to meet people and make contacts easily. Could lead to something if you wanted it to."

"Lex, that would be amazing," she said beaming. They stopped again, and Lex looked into her eyes. Everything was purple by now, and the shadows hid more than they revealed. He wanted to say so much, tell her that all he wanted was for her to be happy. Well, happy with him anyway.

She looked up at him smiling, and then her smile faded. Connection. A slight breeze carried a piece of her hair into her face, and Lex instinctively reached out and pushed it away, tucking it behind her ear.

She shivered and a look of nervousness crossed her features. "You cold?" Lex asked softly.

"A little," she answered. He placed a hand briefly at the small of her back and turned back towards the path that would lead them home.

"Let's go inside.

On Saturday Morning, Isaburo Kishida arrived from Japan. The night before, Lana had been a little nervous.

"Lex, I'm just not sure if I should be doing this. I mean, it's your house." She sat cross legged in an overstuffed chair and waited for his answer.

"Lana, I said you could do it. We already have the Italian and Rose Gardens, it would be nice to add something Asian to the property. It's not like we don't have the space." Lana mulled that over, and Lex watched the expressions cross her face. He knew what her problem was. She was reluctant to make any permanent changes to his house and grounds, because it might bind her to them. Her designing her own space here, meant that she might actually stay for a while, and enjoy it.

"I just feel like maybe this is happening too fast. Maybe we should have talked about it for a while first before making any big changes." She tugged on her ear nervously, and shrugged her shoulders. Lex didn't miss the double meaning to her words.

"Look," he said, dropping his voice. "This is something new for both of us, and we don't have to figure out what it means or understand it all right away."

"But doesn't everything have to have a master plan?" she asked.

"You never know what you're going to get until it's finished Lana," he said after a pause. "It may not be exactly what you expected, but in the end you might find that you actually enjoyed building it."

"And what if it turns out all wrong? What do I do then? Rip it out and start over?"

Lex stood to leave. This conversation about her Asian pond was starting to get just a little too heavy. "I think it'll be great Lana. Don't worry so much."

He worried about what she would do the next day, but bright and early she was ready to receive Mr. Kishida. Lex let her go on the tour of the grounds alone with the two Japanese men so that she would feel like the project was truly hers.

Lana eventually chose an area for her pond that was more closed off, more private than the others. It was almost as if she were creating her own world inside of his. She showed it to him later that evening.

"So this is where you're going to dig it out?" he asked, trying to visualize it.

"Yeah. Mr. Kishida had a lot of ideas on how to frame it, and what plants to use around it and stuff like that. They'll probably start digging in a couple of weeks or so. He seemed really excited."

"Well, you do to," Lex said smiling at her. "Glad you stuck with it?"

"So far." Lana's expression changed from mysterious to thoughtful. "Lex," she began evenly. "Thank you for letting me do this. It's a good distraction."

"I should really be thanking you Lana. It's you that's doing me a favor here."

She smiled softly at that, and shook her head a little before turning to walk back to the house.

At a little past midnight, Lex walked briskly into their room, and sat on the bed beside Lana. "Wake up Lana," he said to her, shaking her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Sleep was still heavy in her voice.

"You need to get dressed. We have to leave."

Lex got up, and left the room, returning only a minute later with a pair of jeans and one of Lana's shirts. She sat up with a puzzled look on her face. "What?" she asked. "Why? Where are we going?"

He put the clothes down, and then sat beside her again with a hand on her shoulder. "Lana, the Talon is on fire."

"Oh my God." Lana pushed her covers aside and jumped out of bed. She pulled her jeans on first, not bothering to leave the room. With her back turned to Lex, she pulled her gown over her head, and reached for her shirt.

Lex struggled to keep his composure as he looked at her half naked body right in front of him. Only a moment passed before her shirt was on her body, but the side swing of Lana's breasts had been a very enticing view.

She thrust her feet into her shoes, and looked up at Lex expectantly. He nodded, and they left the mansion together.

Firefighters battled the blaze, but it was clear the building wouldn't be saved. Worse than that, the raging inferno had the very real potential of taking the others near it. And these were the lucky few that hadn't burned during the meteor shower.

People lined the other side of the street and watched in horror. This was the last thing they needed. The town was still struggling to survive as it was, barely catching it's breath after the last disaster. And now the rest of Main Street may go up in flames.

Tears filled the eyes of the people. This was their history, their memories, their life. When the Talon survived the first devastating fire, it had given them hope. A strength to build around. A place to whisper about their shared grief.

Gone. The fire roared so loud, it was the only thing that could be heard. It crackled and spit, and it's orange glow lit up the night sky, beautiful in its angry reach.

Lana got out of the car, and walked like a zombie to the front of the crowd. Lex followed close behind her, pain welling inside. His biggest connection to Lana was about to be reduced to charred timber and ash. Already he made plans to rebuild. To have the debris cleared away as soon as possible so that new foundation could be poured.

He looked down at Lana. Tears slipped down her cheeks as the firelight danced in her eyes. As if she needed more pain. Lex put his arms around her, and pulled her close, not caring who saw them. She let him hold her for a minute, while she buried her face in his chest.

When she caught sight of a familiar face, she let go of Lex, and ran over to Martha Kent, whose own look of grief was hard to bear. Beside her, stood her husband Jonathan, and when she saw Lana coming towards her, she opened her arms wide and took her in. It pained Lex to know that he would never be welcomed into an embrace like that.

The two women held onto each other, clinging for support. Both loved the Talon. Lana had brought it back to life after years of neglect and then Martha had sustained it, keeping it from falling back into ruin. The anguish they felt over its destruction was palpable.

"Martha honey," said Jonathan as he tugged on her arm. "Let's go home." Martha planted a last kiss on Lana's cheek before being lead away. Empty, alone, Lana sank to her knees and sobbed with her hands covering her face.

She refused to leave until the early morning, and by then the fire was nearly out. The Talon was gutted and what remained was the charred skeleton of a once proud monument to Smallville's history. The fire claimed three other buildings including the one where Nell's old flower shop used to be. Cold, and covered in soot, Lana finally let Lex take her home.

By the time they returned home, she'd quit crying and was now sitting lifeless at the breakfast table. She picked at her food and was quiet. Lex himself was exhausted, and almost tempted to go back to bed, which was something he never did. Since Lana had decided to stay awake though, he thought he should as well.

"Once they finish investigating the fire, we can have the debris cleared away," he told her.

"Why do they have to investigate?"

"Standard procedure for fires. They always check to find out exactly what caused the fire to start."

"Oh." She gave up on her eggs and fruit and pushed the plate away from herself.

"We can replace most of the stuff you lost. . ." Lex started, but was silenced by her glare. "I've just lost almost everything I have Lex. My whole life just went up in flames, not to mention how I feel about that place personally. It can't be replaced, not even close."

"Lana, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that getting new stuff would make everything better. I just want you to feel that everything will be okay."

Lana softened a little at that, and sighed. "I guess," she said.

Before leaving for Luthorcorp, Lex had a phone call. "It's done Mr. Luthor," said a voice at the other end.

"Have you surveyed the damage yet?" Lex asked.

"Yes, sir. The building was completely destroyed."

"Good."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Devil is in the Details**

It took 18 full hours for police to search the mansion.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the penthouse Lana? You'd be able to get some sleep." They were sitting on one of the couches in the main drawing room downstairs. The room was immaculate with a high pitched ceiling, and very expensive art covering the walls. This was a room for receiving guests after a formal dinner, or ball.

A team of lawyers had arrived immediately after the police invasion, and were even now, following investigators around, nitpicking and making sure that nothing was harmed. Lana lay curled up on the couch, with her head on a pillow and her hands tucked between her knees.

"I just want this to be over," she said for the hundredth time. Lex reached an arm out and laid it across her legs. "Shouldn't be much longer," he said (again). Lana groaned, and stuffed her head under her pillow.

The day the police arrived with their search warrant, Lex had already been warned of their imminent arrival. His contact at the precinct had called that morning to say that the police suspected arson in the Talon fire. That coupled with some kind of notes or letters that Genevieve had written, gave a judge enough of a reason to order the search.

A man in an ugly brown suit walked up to Lex with a smug look on his face. He was eating an apple.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked Lex.

"Almost as much as last time," the man replied.

Lex gritted his teeth but kept his mouth shut. The last time the place had been searched was when they suspected Lex of murdering a lab full of people. He hadn't, but the only way out of that situation was to help them bring down his father. Lex did NOT like being backed into a corner like that.

"Fun times huh?" the man laughed.

"If that's what you call it."

"Well, at least the scenery is a little better," he said while looking at Lana. She had pulled her head out from under her pillow when she heard him walking up, and was now in a sitting position. She turned her face away from his in distaste, and he chuckled. Lex made a mental note to have his tires slashed overnight.

"Something else I can do for you?" Lex asked with an edge to his voice.

"No, I think I have everything I need," the man said, sweeping his arm out to indicate that he meant the whole mansion. He walked back the way he came to the front staircase.

"What an asshole," Lana said under her breath. Lex nodded in agreement.

The police walked out with 32 red evidence bags. Each item was noted, and photographed by the lawyers to ensure their safe return. They finally left, and cleanup began.

"Why do they have to be such pigs?" Lana asked as she straightened the clothes in her drawer.

"Because they can," Lex answered. He picked up Lana's suitcase and put it back in her closet where it had been before. Even though Lana slept in Lex's bed every night, most of her clothes were still in her previous room.

Many of her things began trickling into "their" bedroom. Her side table was littered with her books, drawing pad and various pencils. Her nightclothes, slippers and robes were in his closet, and dozens of toiletries lined the shower shelves and filled drawers under the sink.

It was late when she finally felt satisfied that everything was put away right. "Have you noticed what all they took?" Lex asked her.

Lana sat down to remove her shoes and sighed. "Didn't Mr. Albrecht give you a list of the stuff that they took?"

Lex looked over at her to assess her mood. She seemed tired more than anything. "I was hoping you hadn't seen that," he said truthfully.

"Why?"

"I didn't want you to be upset."

Lana leaned back into her pillow and closed her eyes. "You don't have to keep worrying about me being upset about everything. Just tell me the truth."

Lex thought about that for a moment and then said, "They took your journal." This bothered him very much, because he knew what was in it. She'd written a lot about her dislike of Genevieve, her problems with Jason and even of strange observations she'd made of himself and his father. Not a good thing to be in the hands of the police.

He'd hoped that it was still in the Talon during the fire, but just a few nights prior, he saw Lana writing in it. He looked for it in their room while she was gone, but could never seem to find it. Obviously the police were better at searching than he was.

"Actually," Lana said calmly. "They didn't take my journal."

What? "It was on the evidence list."

"What they have is a double that I made. My diary is still here."

Nothing could have surprised Lex more than that admission. Lana had a second diary? A decoy? Since when? Did she know that he had read the old one? Where in the hell was she keeping it?

In the midst of all the questions that suddenly sprang to mind, Lex was proud. What a Luthor thing for her to do!

"What made you decide to do that?" he finally managed to ask.

"I just felt worried after we went to Metropolis to give our statements. The double was already written in. A few months ago I found Jason going through one of my drawers, and I worried that he would find my diary, so I made a fake one for him to sneak a peek at. It was full of drawings and just random school stuff. He probably thought that I was really in love with unicorns." She laughed at the memory, and then grew silent, probably thinking about his death.

"So where is the old one now?"

"Under the couch I was laying on earlier."

"Lex laughed and sat down beside her. "Well, no wonder you didn't want to go to the penthouse."

"I was actually worried that they'd tell me to move and search it too, but I guess they pretty much stuck to our personal places." She took a deep breath and then yawned.

"Tired?" Lex asked. He put a hand on her knee and squeezed lightly, making her laugh and jerk her leg away. "Don't do that," she said in a mock whiny voice. "Sleepy." Her knees were the only place that he knew of so far that was ticklish.

"Well go ahead and go to bed then," he said. "I'll be in shortly."

Even though he remained casual with Lana, Lex was furious about the search. As soon as he was back in his office, he picked up the phone and called his contact at the precint.

"What did they find?" he said as soon as the phone picked up.

"Hello to you to," the voice at the other end said dryly.

"I'm not paying for small talk Mr. Dalglish. Now tell me what they have."

"They have two letters that Genevieve Teague wrote to her son while he was in Smallville. Both were warning him to stay away from Lana because she is dangerous, and begging him to come home to Mother.

Fuck. "And?"

"They also have a strand of long brown hair that they found on the body. They're getting a court order for a sample of Lana's DNA now."

"Is that all?" Lex asked between clenched teeth.

"So far."

He hung up the phone, and walked over to the bar, pouring himself a drink. Obviously the hair was Lana's and came from the fight at the Talon. Surely though, the hair could have come from Jason's apartment. Lex would have to get some of her hair into Jason's apartment immediately.

Feeling calmer and pleasantly numb from the alcohol, Lex went to take a shower. He stayed in a little longer than usual to let the hot water beat down on his neck and back, letting the tension from earlier wash away.

Lex crawled shirtless into bed, and pulled Lana against him, her back fitting snugly against his chest. He lay his head behind hers with his lips just barely brushing her neck.

Lana never let him hold her like this during the day. She kept him at arm's length. At night though, in the dark, there was rarely a time when they didn't touch. Though there were no sexual advances from either side, the intimacy achieved was something that Lex had never experienced.

When he rolled over, Lana soon followed, wrapping an arm over his stomach, and sliding a leg onto his. It was absolute torture.

A call the next morning from Dr. Pineda at Belle Reeve was surprising.

"Mr. Luthor," the doctor said. "Your father has awakened."

Lex sat up in his chair, and listened more intently. "And what is his condition?"

"He seems perfectly lucid Mr. Luthor. He's been asking for you."

After telling Lana quickly about his father's change in condition, Lex boarded the helicopter to Metropolis. He was extremely interested in knowing what was going through his father's mind now.

As soon as he walked into the room, his father turned around and put his arms around him for a hug. Lex stood stiffly, and gave him a pat on the back. "Uh, how are you feeling Dad?" he asked, suddenly wondering how many colorful pills his father was on.

"Good now son," said Lionel smiling. He kept his hands on Lex's arms. "Now, the doctors here tell me that I can't go home yet. Why is that?"

"Well, Dad, you were in a catatonic state."

"So they tell me."

". . . And they want to make sure that you're completely well before you leave here." Lionel looked into Lex's eyes, and smirked. He turned away from Lex and looked into the two way mirror in his cell.

"And was no other hospital acceptable? Why this place?"

Lex sighed. "It was the place that I thought would do you the most good."

He laughed at that and looked at Lex with curious eyes. "Hmm," was all he said.

"Dad, do you remember what happened?"

"I remember talking to you, and then waking up here."

"That's it? You don't remember being here at all?"

Lionel glanced back at Lex and said nothing. During the long month in the hospital, Lionel had lost quite a bit of weight, making him resemble greatly the man he'd looked like while in prison. But here, as he was there, he was still Lionel Luthor. He stood up straight, kept his shoulders back and behaved like a gentlemen.

Lex almost felt badly for leaving him there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Something There**

Lex gripped her hips tightly and groaned. Her naked body straddled his and was moving in rich, slow circles, leaning back till he was almost out, and then sliding forward so far that his eyes rolled back in his head.

He moved his hands up to grasp her breasts, his fingers pinching her brown nipples gently. She moaned, and looked down at him, her eyes liquid and half closed in bliss. Lex felt disconnected to the rest of the world, and all he knew was this moment, inside her, warm and wet and only for him.

She stopped and pulled herself off of him, crying out at the loss and rolled over onto her back. He followed, slipping his hands under her hips to lift her as he slid inside. He moved in the same slow way, wringing every possible drop of pleasure from her body. She reached out for him, and he gave in to her embrace, his body flush with hers. Their mouths met in a deep kiss, greedy and passionate as their bodies rocked together in a quickening rhythm.

Finally, he began to shudder. He came hard inside her, and she was warm, and he was cold and he knew something was wrong . . .

Lex opened his eyes and after taking a moment to remember where in the hell he was, he groaned. He looked over at her to make sure that she was still asleep, and then got up to shower. Somewhere, the Sandman was having a big fucking laugh today.

Har-de-har-har.

Chloe Sullivan arrived back in Smallville on June 28. He had several people following Chloe during her "vacation" in the Yukon. After being released from the hospital, she stayed in a hotel in Whitehorse.

Though she was watched 24/7, there were several times when she simply vanished for several days, only to return without ever having to leave her room. Lex did have the report of a drunken man who swore to have seen a flash of light, and a great wind come and carry her away.

As intriguing as that story was, it couldn't possibly be true. Still, photographers stayed on the ready, never capturing more than what looked like lens flares.

As soon as word got around that she was home, Lana rushed right out to see her. She no longer required a driver to take her, so Lex had to rely on reports from the security detail that followed her. She stayed at Gabe Sullivan's house for over three hours, and then returned to the mansion. After that, she was even more aloof then usual. She smiled at Lex and was polite, but didn't hang around him for too long.

He managed to wait until dinner to ask about it. "So, how is Chloe?" he asked. Lana looked up from her soup, and shrugged a little. "She's okay. Her Dad got a new job in Metropolis, so they'll be moving there in a few weeks."

"Well, at least you'll still be able to visit her since you'll be working there too."

"Yeah," she said, going back to her soup. Lex watched her with curiosity and wondered what the change was. What the hell did Chloe tell her that was screwing things up so badly?

"You seem kind of down," Lex began cautiously. "Is anything else bothering you?"

Lana stopped stirring, and set her spoon down. "No, not really." She looked up at Lex, and then sighed. "She was just confused as to why I'm here, and I don't feel like I had a good enough answer."

"You didn't tell her anything about the police did you?"

"No, of course not."

He wanted to ask her what exactly she did say, but he didn't want to be pushy. "Well I guess you being here is really only as unusual as her being gone for a whole month without contacting you." Lana flinched at that, and Lex was instantly sorry for saying it.

"I'm sorry," he said, and she waved it away. "No, you're right. I asked her why she didn't call, at least to tell me that she was okay, and she said that there were no phones where she was."

She paused for a moment, and then said, "Are there phones in the Yukon?"

"There are pretty much phones everywhere Lana. She must have just gotten busy with something. Maybe a boyfriend?"

"If she had a boyfriend though, why wouldn't she tell me about it?"

"Maybe because it's new, and she's not sure how she feels about it yet." Lana looked down at her bowl of soup, but Lex could still see the slight blush to her cheeks. Apparently that explanation did suffice.

Lex drove into Pleasant Meadows and was pleased to see so many people outside enjoying the day. Pleasant Meadows was the only Luthorcorp housing subdivision in Smallville so far, but since it was such an obvious success, plans were being made for another.

Gabe Sullivan lived in a beige colored, two-story corner house, and sure enough there was a big red FOR SALE sign staked in the yard. After being fired from his position as Plant Manager at Lexcorp, he would have lost his house if it weren't for Lex pulling strings to get him a job in Grandville. The commute wasn't too bad, and he and Chloe stayed in Pleasant Meadows. It's a good thing Lionel had blown up the safe house instead of this one.

Lex walked up and rang the bell. "I've got it," shouted Chloe from inside. She opened the door, and couldn't hide her displeasure at seeing Lex there. "Hello Chloe."

"Hey," she said. Lex waited a moment before asking, "Mind if I come inside?" She held the door open wider, and Lex walked into the familiar receiving room. He'd been here several times before to talk to Gabe, and also to talk to Chloe when she was helping him to put his father in jail. He'd saved her life when Lionel wanted her dead, but apparently that didn't matter much.

"So, I guess it's good to be home after such an extended vacation." He strolled into the empty livingroom and looked at the family pictures covering the walls. There were several of Chloe and her Dad, and also a few of her Mom. A picture of Lana caught his eye, and he laughed a little to himself at the sight of her and Chloe covered in food. They had obviously just had a food fight, and were laughing hysterically when the picture was snapped.

"Yeah, it's comforting to see that some things never change," Chloe said pointedly.

He turned back to her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know. You manipulating Lana." She was such an angry girl.

"You mean, because she's living with me now? I don't see how her wanting to stay with me is manipulation at all."

"I know what you're after Lex. You only want to hurt her. Use her up and throw her away." She glared at Lex, but before he could reply, in walked Gabe with a hand towel thrown casually over his shoulder.

"Mr. Luthor," he said, sounding shocked. Lex walked over to him and shook his hand. "Hey, Gabe. How are you doing?"

"Not too bad," he said smiling.

"I hear you're leaving Smallville?"

"Yeah, I got a job as manger in a factory in Metropolis, so we're going to move back pretty soon. Better pay, and I'll get to be close to Chloe when she starts MetU in the Fall." He smiled at Chloe proudly, and despite the stick in her ass, she smiled back.

"Well good for you. It's nice to see things looking so well. You'll have to let us know when the house warming party is. Lana and I will come." He took a sidelong glance at Chloe as he said that and didn't miss the roll of her eyes. Gabe though, was pleased.

"We sure will. If you'll excuse me though, I've got some food that I have to attend to." They shook hands again, and said their goodbyes. Lex smiled innocently at Chloe and walked back to her front door. He looked back to say, "Make sure you send the invitation to the mansion. You remember the address right?"

Lex was smiling on his way out to the car.

When he found her, Lana was doing sketches on the veranda outside of the ballroom. From here, she had a good view of the Italian Garden, and could see part of the tract of land she planned to put her pond. He looked over her shoulder, and saw that she was drawing a humped bridge, which crossed the pond to a gazebo on the water.

"Why a humped bridge?" Lex asked. Lana jumped a little, having been very lost in her drawing.

"Makes it hard for the evil spirits to cross."

"Ahh," he said with a grin. He sat down next to her, and looked out over the property. In the late afternoon sun, the riot of colors in the gardens were much deeper. Trees were still blossoming, and the Irises he had planted when she first came back from Paris, were in full bloom.

"Lana," he started. She looked up at him and seeing that he was serious, put her pencil down. "Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you about my father."

She seemed relieved that he wasn't bringing up that other big pink elephant. "What about him?"

"He's being discharged from Belle Reeve, and I have to figure out what to do with him."

"Is he okay?"

"He seems to be."

"And you want to bring him here, right?"

He sighed and looked away. "I need to be able to keep an eye on him, and I can do it best if he's here."

"You sound like you don't trust him."

"I don't."

"Keep your enemies closer?" she asked with a small smile. "He's your father Lex. This is where he should be."

"Lana," he said. "You don't know what he's capable of." She looked down and said nothing. "If he does or says anything to you that makes you uncomfortable, please tell me."

"Okay," she agreed.

It was after five o'clock when Lionel arrived. He was greeted with the usual fanfare, and ensconced back in the guest house he had been living in prior to his most recent departure. Lex walked up to the house with that old feeling of trepidation that he always felt when confronting his father. Somehow, meetings like this always made him feel like a ten year old again.

He walked past the Daffodils on either side of the steps, and knocked on the door. Lionel answered wearing a robe, toweling his hair dry. "Lex," he said, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

The guest house was small but very comfortable. Rich woods, dark greens and golden browns accented the decor, and books covered nearly every surface.

Lex seated himself on a sofa, and Lionel sat in the arm chair opposite.

"So, how does it feel to be home?" Lex asked.

Lionel laughed a little and laid the towel in his lap. His hair looked like it had been in a hurricane. "Always good to be home son." He reached out for a comb and began to tackle the mess on his head.

"I think everything is the way you left it. They changed your sheets and aired the place out, but all of your things are still where you last put them."

"Yes, I noticed that. One might even assume that you missed me a little." He smirked at his son, and stood to peer into a mirror. He combed his hair straight back, and looked at Lex in the reflection. "So, I see other things have changed since I've been away."

"You mean Lana?"

Lionel laughed as he reseated himself. "That is what I meant, yes. I'm surprised actually. How did you manage to make her stay?"

Lex felt the old defenses rise up, and he proceeded guardedly. "She stayed because she wanted to."

Lionel smirked again, and Lex got to the point of his visit. "She doesn't know about you threatening to send her to the police, and I want to keep it that way. And if you want to stay here, you will keep your mouth shut about Genevieve as well."

"You mean about her murder?"

"I mean about everything. You go dumb, or my generosity is over. I don't care what happens to you, but Lana is important to me and I won't let anyone, not even you, harm her."

He stood to leave, and when he reached for the door, Lionel said, "Thanks for letting me know where I rank, son."

Somehow Lex was always the bad guy.

The conversation with his father left Lex feeling edgy for the rest of the day. It was nice knowing that he would have Lana at night, even if she wasn't quite so available to him in the day. As frustrated as he was becoming with their celibacy torture test, he was equally glad to have that connection with her.

From reading her journal, he knew that she was a virgin and so he understood her apprehension. As much as he wanted her, no woman had ever scared him as much as she did. He was constantly fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing, and even at night when she wrapped her body around his, he felt afraid of making too bold a move.

Little by little though, he inched further. Where he started off feeling lucky that she slept a foot away from him, now he held her close to him. His hands roamed freely over her back and down the length of her arms, tangled in her hair and were even now balancing on the curve of her hip.

He kissed the back of her shoulder, and moved his hand up to her belly. He could tell she had awakened, because she leaned into him, letting her legs rub up against his. They settled in for sleep, but before he drifted off, Lana took his hand and drew it up to her chest, holding it in her own above her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Public Enemy Number One**

"We're just going to go in there, and pretend like everything is normal."

"That's the plan, yeah."

"And what do we do if things get weird?"

"They're not already?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well if you feel uncomfortable, then just kick me and we'll go."

"Well, in that case . . ."

"Ow! I was kidding!"

"Fine, let's just get this over with."

"Fine."

Lex and Lana stepped into the formal dining room and took their seats at the table. Lionel was already sitting, and once everyone was ready, Lex signaled the waiter who in turn signaled for the food to be brought out. Soft, classical music played in the background and aside from that, everything was quiet. To say that this first dinner together was awkward would be an understatement.

By the time the main course arrived, Lana was looking a bit loopy. She was on her third glass of wine. Lex himself had nearly downed two, and Lionel was working his way there as well.

"So," Lex began. "Dad, how was your day today?" For whatever reason, Lana found this question hysterical. She attempted (unsuccessfully) to stifle her giggles, and though Lex kept looking at his father, he was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

Lionel glanced over at Lana, who apologized politely and tried to focus on her food. Lex wondered if she could even still see it clearly.

"Ahem. Yes, well, it was nice of you to invite me back to Luthorcorp son."

"You're a valuable asset to the company."

"Roll me out for appearances."

"That's the idea."

Silence again. It was odd to have Lana at the table. Their nightly ritual of ignoring each other hadn't been invaded by a woman in a very long time. Not even Helen had ever dined with the two of them.

Lionel turned his attention to her. "I hear you've begun working at the Metropolis Museum. Overseeing the Egyptian artifacts that Lex brought from Thebes?"

"Yeah, I started last week. It's pretty exciting to see it all in the raw like that."

"Yes, I imagine so. I'd like to accompany you tomorrow if you don't mind. The curator is an old friend."

Lana looked over at Lex for help, but he didn't have any to give. Getting a good read on his father was always hard, but now was impossible. She smiled politely and said, "Sure, that would be nice."

"And what piece are you currently working on?"

"A bronze statue of Sekhmet. Ptolemaic period."

"Ah, yes. Sekhmet. Goddess of war. She was believed to protect the Pharaoh in battle, stalking the land and destroying his enemies with arrows of fire. In the myth, Sekhmet's blood lust almost destroyed all of humanity, and to stop her all Ra had to do was get her drunk."

He tipped his glass to Lana and added. "Good to know."

"Good to know?" Lana asked. "What is that supposed to mean? I'm not a bloodthirsty tyrant."

"Yet."

"I don't murder people."

"Usually."

"I'm just trying to live my life. Is that so bad?" Lana gestured wildly with her hands, and it was hard holding on to her. Lex carried her into their bedroom and plopped her down on the bed. "You're a very cute drunk," he said.

"Yeah? Well, you're a cute, not so drunk person."

"Is that right?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Lex walked over to the bureau, and took off his cuff links and tie. He turned around and looked at Lana who was watching him intently. After pulling off his shirt, he walked over to her and began undoing the straps of her shoes. She had her knees pulled up, with her skirt barely protecting her modesty.

He let one shoe drop to the floor. "Lex?" Lana asked him.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want me?"

He undid the strap of her second shoe, and pulled it off. "Very much," he said, looking up at her. He kept his hands on her ankles, stroking the smooth flesh. It would have been so easy to push her legs apart gently and slide between them.

"Why don't you ever try to have me?"

"Because I want you to be ready," he said after a pause. He rolled her knees over so that they closed, and lay on the bed.

"You haven't kissed me."

"Do you want me to?"

She bit down on her lower lip. "Yes," she finally said. He gazed at her for a moment, and then leaned forward touching her lips with his softly. She kissed him back, and too soon it was over. He didn't want it to go too far and then have her be angry with him the next day.

He left the room so that she could change into her nightclothes, and felt satisfied.

The next morning, Lana slept in an extra hour. "Wine is bad," she groaned when she awakened. Lex laughed and rubbed her back.

"I think it's safe to say that you can't guzzle it quite like you can the cheaper varieties."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, at least we got our first dinner with Dad out of the way." Lana groaned again and covered her face with her hands.

"I can't believe I made an ass out of myself in front of your father."

"He was in prison last year for murder, Lana. I don't think he's up to pointing fingers yet."

"He probably thinks I'm a fruit loop."

"I think you're a fruit loop, but I still like you." Lex laughed again, and kissed her hand. "Don't worry about what he thinks. With him you'll always be disappointed if you do."

Lana sat up and leaned back against the headboard. "It's not so much that I want his approval. I just don't want him to take his disappointment in me out on you."

Lex smiled at that and brushed her bare shoulder with his fingertips. "You never disappoint me. That's all that matters." Lana blushed furiously and shuffled away from him to get off the bed. Those kinds of touches were reserved for the night.

Lionel was a bit of a third wheel when he flew into Metropolis with them a little while later. By the time Lex showed up to take Lana out for lunch, he had already left. Since Lex was having him followed though, he was able to relax and enjoy Lana's company.

After returning to his office, he checked in with the detail following his father. He arrived at the Metropolis Museum with Lana at 9:45 a.m, talked for a few minutes with the curator, went on a tour of the new exhibit and then left by 10:30.

Lionel met with a former District Attorney, Mr. Robert L. Bloch for over two hours. He went to the Penthouse at 1:30 and had lunch alone. He was still there when Lex stopped by to see him at 5.

"Lex?" Lionel looked very surprised to see him.

"Well, I just thought you might like some company since you seem so lonely today." Lex walked through the familiar doors and over to the windows.

Lionel sighed and closed the door. "And what is this about Lex?" he asked.

"Well, I guess I really can't compare to the scintillating companionship you can get out of a former district attorney, but I thought I'd give it a shot."

"You had me followed?"

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

Lionel sat down in the chair he must have been occupying before Lex came to the door. Blue folders with stacks of papers littered the table, and his laptop was open.

"I am trying to help you son," he said.

"And what makes you think that I need or even want your help?"

"Well I'm sure that you don't think you need help. You always assume that you're so clever and invincible don't you?"

"That must be an inherited trait."

"Lex!" Lionel hissed in frustration. "Lana murdered Genevieve Teague, and there's the very real possibility that she will drag you down with her."

"Genevieve Teague died in an unfortunate accident."

"Oh, we're playing that game now are we?"

Lex sat in a chair opposite Lionel and crossed his legs. Even if his father did tell anyone that he saw Genevieve's body in Lana's apartment, there would be no evidence to support it. The Talon was gone, and Lionel himself didn't exactly make a very good eyewitness, considering he just got out of Belle Reeve and all.

"Lana and I appreciate your enthusiastic support, but it's not needed."

Lionel scoffed. "Lana and I," he repeated, and Lex's back stiffened. "Lex, I am doing this for you. You're my son, and as your father I have a responsibility to protect you."

"Is that what you were doing when you fried my brain in Belle Reeve? Protecting me?"

"Yes!" Lionel slammed his laptop shut. His emotional eruption surprised Lex, and he couldn't help but laugh a little at it.

"Everything I have done has been to protect you. From me, from yourself and from the world. I can't turn that part of myself off because you are ignorant enough to think that you don't need it."

"And poisoning me? What was that?"

"I have already told you Lex, that I had nothing to do with that."

"Yeah."

Lex and Lana both worked late into the evening, so they decided to stay overnight in the penthouse, with Lionel staying in a separate suite. They had room service bring in dinner, and ate out on the balcony.

"It's beautiful from up here," Lana said, gazing out over the twinkling lights of the city. Lana stood with her hands on the wide railing, and Lex stood next to her, leaning with his back against it.

"Yes it is."

Lana turned back and grinned at him. "You're not even looking," she teased.

"Well, I've seen it before," he quipped. She shook her head and looked back at the view.

"It's not like Paris though."

"Nothing is."

"I used to sit out on my balcony there and just watch the city for hours. So beautiful."

"Well, they do call it the City of Lights."

Lana smiled at that, lost in a memory. When she came back she said, "Lex? Why didn't you come to visit me?"

"Isn't absence supposed to make the heart grow fonder?"

"I'm being serious."

_Well, I got poisoned by my father, and for the first two months, I couldn't even of made the trip. Plus, I'm more of a scardey-cat than you think._

Instead he said, "I would have. With my father in prison, work wouldn't let me get away."

She accepted that, and turned to him. "With everything that ended up happening, I sort of wish you had made the time." Lex understood that this admission was huge for her. "So do I," he said.

He turned his body towards her and looked deeply into her eyes. She swallowed nervously as he reached out and touched her shoulder. His hands moved to cup her face, and he leaned down to kiss her. They touched timidly at first, barely meeting. Lex pulled back with his lips still nearly touching hers and waited.

When she didn't shy away, he kissed her again, this time with a little more force. He slipped his hands down around her waist to pull her closer, and her arms went around his neck. With each kiss, she grew less timid and finally opened her mouth to him. He thrust his tongue inside and kissed her until he felt weak-kneed.

He made himself stop, knowing that she wasn't ready for things to go further, and kissed her forehead. She rested her cheek against his chest, and they stayed that way, locked in an embrace for several minutes.

Later that night, he couldn't help but kiss her a few times more. Stopping was more difficult than ever, a little like dying.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Flirting With Disaster**

Once the kissing door was opened, it was impossible to be closed again. Things got very intense in a hurry between Lex and Lana, partially because it was such a long time coming, but mostly because of the already erotic nature of their sleeping arrangements. Lex had remarkable self control, a fact that he had proven to himself a hundred times over since Lana began sleeping in his bed, but there truly is only so much a man can take.

He supposed there might be extraordinary men out there who could pass a temptation test such as this, but they'd have to be castrated to do it. And Lex certainly wasn't. He attempted at first to hide his erections from Lana, to pull his pelvis away from her so that she wouldn't know. But the inner Lana who awakened in the night to torture him simply wouldn't have it. She needed to be close, to press herself firmly against him, to be so wrapped up in him that she actually had to untangle herself to be free.

It was this Lana who didn't mind his hardness against her hip, probably even delighted in knowing that she was arousing him so much. The inevitable pain of not following through with this was excruciating, but Lex kept silent about it. He felt in her a rising desire, and he wanted this, for her to be so out of her mind fiercely impassioned that there was no room left for doubt. He wanted her to KNOW that she wanted him.

Lex would often wake up after these long nights to find himself cupping one of Lana's breasts. He didn't consciously remember doing it, but since she never screamed at him in the morning, he supposed she didn't mind. When he was relatively certain that she was still sleeping, he would hold on for a few minutes longer, lightly caressing.

They were increasingly wearing thin a line that hadn't yet been crossed. Though Greek poets would undoubtedly call them lovers, Lex and Lana were currently swimming in a murky gray area. On a sultry mid-July night though, the world briefly stopped turning, and Lex was put out of his misery.

This was not a night for pajamas. The unusually warm weather prompted Lex to retire in only a black pair of boxer briefs, and likewise Lana was wearing a thin chemise. Neither bothered with blankets, and only half covered with the sheet. Since it was so hot, cuddling like they so often did was out, and since they rarely talked in bed, they simply lay there and tried to fall to sleep.

Lana tossed and turned for a while, which made Lex crazy. She finally settled on her side turned towards him, while he lay on his back. He thought she was asleep until he felt her touch his hand. Reflexively, his hand grasped hers and held it, stroking her fingers with his own. Finally feeling that connection to her, he began to drift off.

His mind barely registered pressure change as her index finger lazily traced his palm. She touched his wrist and felt for his pulse, pressing a kiss there when she found it. Her hand traveled up to the indenture at his elbow and played briefly at the hollow. By this time his mind had turned back on, but he kept his eyes closed, wondering what she would do next.

The backs of her fingers traced a path over the curve of his bicep to his shoulder blade and then her fingernails lightly tickled his neck, sending shivers down his spine. He opened his eyes to find her leaning over him, her expression mysterious. She seemed to be just looking, exploring. Doing to him in minutes what it took weeks for him to do to her. She was learning his body.

Her hand then moved to his face, glancing across his eyebrows, down the slope of his nose to his lips. He kissed her fingertips, but dared not move another muscle for fear of halting whatever she had planned. She studied his face making Lex feel more vulnerable in this innocent action than he had ever felt in his life.

Her palm grasped his cheek, and her lips lowered to his forehead, kissing him softly. She then dropped kisses to each closed eyelid. Her nose brushed his tenderly, and then she pulled away, returning to her original task.

She spread her palms wide over the expanse of his chest, stroking the scar he got from his adventure at Club Zero daintily with her index finger. His nipples grew tight and hardened and she grazed over them delicately with her fingernails. There was no possible way to hide his erection from her this time, and she seemed neither surprised nor bothered by its appearance. Aside from a fleeting look, she did not even seem to notice.

She lay her head down on his stomach, pulling her body up against his and drawing careless circles on his belly. He put his arm around her back, but didn't move anything else. Her journey down his torso was interrupted by the sheet that covered him, and she tugged it aside carefully, exposing his body more fully to her. She stroked his lower belly slowly, inching closer and closer to the hem of his boxers.

He began to pulse painfully and truthfully began to realize that he was not going to be able to stop this time. That if she wasn't ready, she shouldn't be doing this.

As if coming to a decision, Lana's fingertips slipped beneath the band of his shorts and encircled him. Keeping still was impossible now, and he reached up to rub her back and smooth her hair to encourage her. He lifted his hips when she pulled his boxers off and sort of froze in panic. With her, he truly did not know what to expect. Her fingertips lightly traced the length of him, starting at the base and working their way up to the head.

He gripped the sheet next to him tightly while she teased him, and when she leaned over, he forgot to breathe. Her hair fell in a cascade, obscuring his view and all he could do was feel. Her breath. Her lips. The flat of her tongue, and then finally the warm, wet recess of her mouth. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that she must have done this before, but he pushed that thought away quickly. Nothing else mattered but this.

She fell into a delicious, slow rhythm, taking in as much of him as she could. He groaned, and determined to prove that it was really happening, he pulled her hair away so that he could see her. He watched as he disappeared into her mouth, as her lips descended his shaft and then moved back to the head, flicking her tongue against it before starting the same motion over again.

The many weeks of flirtations took a huge toll on him, and he didn't last nearly as long as he would have liked. She didn't swallow, but that was O-KAY with him. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, and he just lay there for a moment trying to conceptualize what had just happened to him. Once he could move again, he cleaned up and pulled her against him.

She seemed a little shy, but he held her close, and kissed her. "Do you want me to do that for you?" he asked. She shook her head no. "Are you sure?" he asked while caressing her back. She shook her head again, and Lex couldn't quite understand why. In the afterglow of sex though, he didn't put too much thought into it, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Lex was in a great mood. He got up and took his shower, careful not to wake Lana so that she could sleep a little longer. By the time he got out, she was gone though, and he dressed and went looking for her. She was in her old bedroom, about to put her make-up on.

"Hey," he said cheerfully. She smiled at him, and he took that as a positive sign. He wrapped his arms around her, and leaned down to kiss her. She kissed him back tentatively, and then wriggled away. His enthusiasm deflated.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I just need to finish getting ready."

He didn't accept that excuse, and walked over to where she was. "Lana," he began, and she looked at him nervously. He tried to kiss her again, but she wouldn't let him. He stayed close, and didn't release her this time. "Why won't you kiss me in the daytime?" he asked in a low voice. She said nothing, and looked a little guilty. "Lana," he said again seductively. "Kiss me."

She looked up at him, and he could clearly see desire in her eyes, but he couldn't understand why she tried to hide it. "Kiss me," he said again against her lips. She touched him with trembling lips, and he kissed her hungrily, licking and sucking her lips slowly. He wanted inside, but she kept her mouth closed. "Lana," he growled, desperate to taste her. "Open your mouth." She did, and he deepened the kiss. She moaned slightly when his tongue touched hers. When he finally pulled back, her lips were swollen, and she touched them absently. The magic of the kiss soon faded though, and she pulled away, leaving him utterly confused.

At the breakfast table, things between them was tense.

The morning papers only made things worse. Word finally got out about Lana living in the mansion, and what the press had to say about it, wasn't good. They called them lovers, and insinuated that they had always been that way- even citing anonymous sources to prove it. They had recent pictures of the pair in Metropolis as well as older pictures of them at various functions over the years. Body language experts analyzed the pictures and while what they said was interesting to Lex, Lana was not amused.

The reporters had done their homework. They had stories about Lana's past and not only brought up the death of her parents (again), they also brought up the deaths of Whitney and Jason. One tabloid had already taken to calling her a black widow.

Worse than that, they chronicled Lex's (unfortunately) public sexual history, listing names of past lovers and even showing some of their pictures. It was the same stuff that they had printed before when Lex was accused of murdering a one night stand.

He expected this to happen, but it couldn't have come at a worse time. He was publicly being called a predator, a playboy who used women like scratching posts, and Lana was being thrown in with the rest.

She was angry at first, and then she cried, pushing him away when he tried to comfort her.

"How did this happen?" she shrieked between sobs.

"Lana, they're always watching me. It was only a matter of time before they did this."

"But why?"

"It's just a gimmick to sell papers honey." She shook her head vehemently and turned away from him, covering her face with her hands.

When they went into Metropolis for work, Lana was horrified to see reporters waiting for her outside of Luthorcorp. The amount of attention they were giving them actually surprised Lex, since they'd never been quite so hectic before.

"Lana!" they shouted to get her attention. The security around her pushed the paparazzi back, but they continued to shout, asking ridiculously personal questions and flashing their cameras in her face. When she got to the car that would take her to the museum, she looked back briefly at Lex with a clearly dismayed expression. She got in and they drove away.

After work, Lana didn't come home with Lex. She chose instead to stay with Chloe for the night, who now shared an apartment with her Dad on 12th Street. He went home in a very black mood, snapping at servants and even his father wisely stayed out of his way. He skipped dinner, opting instead for a liquid diet.

When the call came in that Edward Teague was again at his gate, Lex was pleased. He was in the mood to fight with someone. Edward walked in trying to project calm authority, but he was obviously rattled.

"Edward!" Lex greeted him. "How are the law offices of Merrien, Teague and Weisman these days?" He didn't offer him a drink, rather, he poured himself another.

"Busy, Lex," the older man grumbled. He tossed a copy of The Inquisitor down on Lex's pool table. "Even the press are calling Lana a killer."

"The Inquisitor would call Big Bird a killer if it would help sell rags," Lex replied with a smirk. "It's bullshit."

"So you're saying that you and Lana have not always been together?"

"I moved here when she was 14. Believe it or not, but that's actually a little young for me." He laughed, enraging Edward.

"You helped her kill my son, I know it!" he shouted in his face.

"Jason's death was ruled an accident, all right? Check your facts!"

"Before he was killed in the meteor shower, he was shot by someone in the shoulder. How do you explain that?"

"I can't Edward. I have no idea where in the Hell Jason was before he took the Kent house hostage."

"Lana shot him didn't she? She shot him and you helped her!" The man's face went crimson and he balled his fists.

"Maybe your wife shot him. Did you ever think of that?"

"How dare you!" Edward began. He was interrupted when Lionel entered the room. He quickly moved between him and Lex. "Mr. Teague, I think you had better leave."

Edward tore his maddening glare away from Lex and looked at his father. "You," he spat out. It almost seemed like an accusation. "I suppose it takes a bastard to defend one?"

"Hey, which one of us is the lawyer pal?" Lex quipped.

Lionel gave Lex a stern look, and turned back to Edward. "You're grieving now Edward. In time all of the pain you're feeling right now will lessen. Genevieve was . . ."

"Don't you dare talk about my wife. Don't you even mention her name!"

"I'm sorry Edward. Whatever you're thinking though, it isn't true."

Edward shook his head, and looked ready to say more, but just then security filed into the room and shouted at him to leave. "This isn't over," he promised, looking at Lex. "I am going to find out what you and that whore have done, and you are going to burn for it, I swear!"

After he left, Lex swallowed the brandy that was left in his glass, and his father poured his own. "What were you talking about Dad?" he asked, feeling out of breath and shaken. "What did he think was true?"

Lionel downed his drink and looked at Lex. "Nothing important," was all he said.

Lex became pleasantly drunk while sitting in his chair in front of the fireplace. He had no desire to get up and go to bed (and wasn't totally sure if he'd be able to), so he decided to stay there. Sleeping in his bed without her would have been too hard anyway. It wasn't even his bed anymore, not really. It was hers, and her smell was everywhere.

He dozed while the fire burned low, and awakened when he felt something touch his hand. He opened his bleary eyes to see Lana. "I thought you weren't coming home?" he asked.

"I wasn't," she said. She set her purse and keys down on the coffee table. "Chloe let me borrow her car. I drove here myself."

"I'll have someone take it back in the morning."

"She was telling me that I was right to leave, and it just bothered me."

"Why?"

She looked down, and he could see tears forming in her eyes. "Because I don't want to believe what the papers say."

He sat up, and reached for her hands. "Lana, you know that they're wrong."

"But, some of them aren't," she said. "The affairs and all of the women, they're real. And I don't want to be one of them. One of many," her voice dropped to a whisper, and her tears began flowing freely down her cheeks.

He kissed her hands and tried not to cry himself. "Lana, you're not. You could never be. Don't you see that?"

She shook her head. "I'm not even like them," she continued. "I've never . . ." her voice cracked, and he knew what she wanted to say.

"I know," he said, surprising her. "Lana, of course I know." She looked away bashfully, and he let go of her hands and reached out for her waist, drawing her closer.

"This isn't the first time you've thought of this though is it?" She kept her face turned away. "Is that why you won't kiss me in the daytime? Because you're ashamed of me? Ashamed of us?"

She finally looked back at him, and in Lex's drunken state, he couldn't control the tears that formed in his eyes. It was his turn to look away, and when she said nothing, he let go of her, and leaned back in his chair. The only sound left in the room was the crackle of the fire, and Lana's sniffles.

He was about to ask her to leave, when she climbed into his lap, resting her head against his shoulder. She cried softly, and he held her, kissing her face and stroking her hair.

"I'm not ashamed of you," she finally said in a whisper. "I'm just afraid of . . . letting go."

"Of what?"

"Me."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Back To One**

Things between Lex and Lana remained borderline tense for several days. They continued to go to work together, but instead of going out to lunch, they just met at his office and ate there in order to avoid the press. If their passion had cooled somewhat, their communication hadn't at all, and Lex was relieved to see that they were beginning to be able to talk to each other much more freely.

It was cloudy and raining outside on a Thursday when Lex decided it was time to tell Lana about his future plans. "I've been thinking of maybe running for State Senate," he said. He actually felt a little nervous about the move, but only in how it might reflect on his relationship with Lana. He didn't want to mess that up.

"Oh," she said in surprise. She swallowed a sip of tea and then looked up at him. "When did you decide this?"

"Well, it's not really decided for sure. It's something that I've been thinking about for a while, and I wanted to know what you thought."

"Hmm," she said. "I guess I'm not surprised. You did say once that you wanted to be President." They laughed a little.

"Yeah, I guess you would remember that."

Her expression turned thoughtful as she mulled his news over. "Well, you do have a lot of leadership qualities." she said positively. "Would this be for the upcoming election?"

"Yeah."

"So soon?"

"Well, the time is right for change Lana."

"I suppose that's true. The press will get a kick out of it."

"Yeah I guess they will. Something new to write about." He smiled at her, and placed a hand over hers. "I'll feel better about announcing my intention to run if I have your support."

She gave a small smile and nodded. "You have it," she said.

The day before Lex announced his candidacy, the Metropolis police finally received a court order for a sample of Lana's DNA. Their lawyers had held them off as long as possible, but with even the news articles expressing concerns, they couldn't hold back the dam any longer. After the hair found on Genevieve's body was identified, Lana was officially called in to give another statement.

"Lana, we want to ask you some more about Jason Teague. Now, when did you say you last saw him?"

"Several weeks before the meteor shower."

"Do you recall the exact date?"

"No, I'm sorry." Lana was much more calm the second time around, and she didn't appear nervous at all. Lex knew that she was, but was glad that she was hiding it so well.

"Do you have any idea how some of your hair might have ended up in his apartment?"

"I visited quite often when we were seeing each other."

"Yes, but that was several weeks before he died, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then how did it get there?"

"Now hold on," the lawyer piped up. "She already told you that she visited often. That's how it got there."

"Well then why would it still be there?"

"He was a college boy, maybe he didn't clean up after himself?" the lawyer asked. The police nodded, and turned back to Lana.

"Miss Lang, will you remind us of when you last saw Genevieve?"

"It was in February."

"Do you recall the exact date?"

"No."

"And what was she doing again?"

"Jason had just gotten into an accident, and she came to the hospital to see how he was."

"What kind of accident was he in?"

"He was attacked in his car."

"Who attacked him?"

"A boy from my school."

"Did you know this boy?"

"No."

"You filed a similar report of being attacked in the same way on February 6th. didn't you?"

"Yes, it was by the same boy."

The lawyer leaned forward again and sighed. "Why are we wasting time on this? She filed the report, you have the details already. I don't see how it pertains to this case. My client won't answer any more questions about that."

"Miss Lang, we found a hair of yours on Genevieve's body. How do you explain that?"

"I can't."

"And just for clarification, were you with Mrs. Teague when she died?"

"No."

"The hair that we found was partially in the chest wound that killed her. It looks to us like it was on her body, and got pushed in by the murder weapon."

"Alleged murder weapon," the lawyer growled.

"Yes. The hair itself had been pulled out by the root."

Everyone went silent. Lana's face remained impassive, and she sat up straight. "I can't explain that," she said. "I hadn't seen her in months."

"Miss Lang, where were you on the night of Genevieve Teague's death?"

"She was with me," Lex piped up. "She arrived from school at 4:30 and stayed there for the rest of the night."

"And can anyone confirm that fact?"

"The front gate of the mansion keeps records of who comes and goes," he replied. He'd already had her alibi added to those records the night of the murder.

"We've been informed that there are several news reports. . . "

"That's it." said the lawyer, rising from his seat. "She's done talking. We're not going to sit here and chit-chat about gossip running around in the media." Lana and Lex both stood to leave.

"Don't leave the state," the officer said as they were leaving.

As soon as they returned home, Chloe Sullivan was there to meet with Lana. Unfortunately for her, Lana was not in the mood for guests. Rather than running off to be alone with her, Lana accompanied Lex into his office, with Chloe following.

"So, what's new?" Lana asked her. She was tired, and no doubt agitated from the police questioning.

"Why don't we go somewhere and talk?" Chloe asked, looking over at Lex. He poured himself a drink, and handed one to Lana as well. Chloe looked surprised to see her drinking. "Okay, isn't it a little early for that?"

"Sorry Chloe it's been a really long day." She kicked her shoes off, and sat down on the couch, resting her head on the back. "What brings you to Smallville?"

Chloe glanced at Lex again, and then looking awkward, she sat next to Lana. "I just wanted to see how you were doing with all of the press on your back."

Lana groaned and shut her eyes briefly. "It's a nightmare. Everywhere I go they're there, yelling at me and taking pictures. It's awful."

Lex decided to make his exit. "I've got a few things to check on, I'll let you ladies talk," he said. He placed a hand on Lana's shoulder and was surprised when she reached up and gave it a squeeze.

Later, when she was taking her bath, Lex played back the security tapes to see what was said.

"Lana what is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"My contact at the precinct says that you're being investigated by the police for murdering Genevieve Teague."

"I'm sure a lot of people are being investigated."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think it was important. I've given statements to the police quite a few times over the past couple of years."

"I think it goes without saying that Metropolis police are a little more dedicated than your average small town cops, Lana," Chloe said looking horrified. "And this investigation is going beyond the run of the mill Q & A. They really think that you did it, and that Lex covered it up."

"That's not true."

"Is it?"

"You know that it isn't!"

"Well, no I don't know, Lana. You've been doing a lot of unusual things lately."

"Unusual like what?"

"Like Lex. Since when are you and he a couple? Since when do you drink brandy at noon, and get hounded by paparazzi?"

"I can't control the press Chloe. I wish I could."

"And? You just told me not too long ago that you weren't sure if being with Lex was the right thing to do or not. Why are you still here?"

Lana sat up straighter, and though Lex couldn't see her face, he knew that she was getting mad. "I was venting. The story that came out in the papers was upsetting, and I wasn't sure of anything that day."

"And you're sure now?"

Lana said nothing.

"Lana?"

"Yes."

"So you're a couple?"

Pause. "Yes."

"Do you love him?"

Lana stood up out of her chair. "Chloe I've already been interrogated enough today, and I'm really tired, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Chloe's mouth dropped open, and she stood next to Lana and said something low that Lex couldn't hear.

"I don't know how I feel about that anymore," Lana replied. Chloe just stared at Lana for a moment, and then picked up her purse to leave.

Lana hadn't said anything to Chloe that could be used against her, and for that Lex was pleased. He tried not to get too excited over the confirmation Lana had given about their relationship status, and also wondered about what her answer was about whether or not she loved him. Regardless, he was beginning to think it was possible that she would eventually, and that was enough for now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Public Relations**

The press didn't give up hounding Lana. They followed her every move, snapping hundreds of photographs and newspaper and magazine headlines suddenly screamed, "WHO IS THIS GIRL?" Everyone wanted to know more about her, and more importantly, more about them as a couple. Twice in the three weeks since the original story broke, Lex had to have paparazzi photographers removed from the Luthor property.

Some of the seedier rags promoted the perverted "cradle robbing" scenario, but others painted a picture of a great friendship that blossomed into true love. Lex had to admit he liked that one, even if some of their details were totally false. His advisers worried about the attention that Lana was bringing to him, fearing that it could hurt his chances of possibly running for state office. While he listened to what they said, he thought that maybe there was a solution- a way to spin the story to make his chances better.

The perfect opportunity came when a fundraiser came up that he had to attend. It was a dreary, formal affair that was just low key enough to have them seen together, without it turning into a circus. Now all he had to do was get her to go with him.

"I'm not sure Lex," she said, with her feet dangling in the pool. The indoor pool room had been damaged during the meteor shower, but was finally fixed. She wore a brown two-piece suit with a halter top and boy shorts that he found adorable.

"I'd like it if you came. There's a chance that the fundraiser could run late, and I might have to stay in Metropolis overnight."

A shadow quickly crossed her features, as undoubtedly the idea of sleeping alone was unpleasant. He let her think about if for a minute, and decided to disrobe. It was still early morning, and he'd just finished a round of boxing in the gym.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking at him in alarm.

"It's hot," was his obvious answer. She averted her eyes when his pants came off, and kept them away until he jumped into the water. When he surfaced, she was laughing and wiping the water from the splash out of her eyes.

"I know what you're doing," she said boldly.

"What's that?"

"It's not going to work."

"What won't work?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"I'm not getting in there with you."

"I don't want you to."

"Why not?"

"Cause you'll peek." She gave him an "are you serious?" look, and he laughed, diving underwater and swimming to the far end and back.

When he returned, she put on a look of false indifference. "I'll have you know Mr. Luthor that I do not want to peek."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes. You are quite safe." She smiled coyly, and Lex couldn't help himself. He lifted himself up out of the water, placing a knee between hers to spread her legs. Her eyes went wide with surprise, and she fell back on her elbows as he leaned forward, his naked body dripping.

"Well I don't think that's the whole truth, is it Miss Lang?" he asked in a low voice. His face was inches away from her, but rather than kiss her lips, he aimed for her neck, sucking lightly at the tender flesh. Her breathing increased and her eyes fluttered closed.

Before she had the chance to pull away, Lex stopped and climbed off of her, walking nude over to a stack of towels. He wrapped one around his waist, and looked at her, as she tried to compose herself. He picked her up a towel as well, and walked over to her, giving him her hand. She took it and stood up next to him, hesitantly meeting his eyes. She swallowed when he wrapped her towel around her. "Will you come with me?" he whispered, and she shivered.

She held onto her towel tightly, and looked into his eyes. "Okay," she whispered back.

After Lex announced his intention to run for Senator, the press became even more frenzied. The fact that Genevieve Teague's death remained inconclusive was finally leaked, and Lex was pretty sure who let that one out. He received a phone call from him the next day congratulating him on his senate run, and promising to do everything in his power to keep it from working out. Lex was surprised that a man like Edward Teague would go to such lengths. He was behaving erratically, and that made him very dangerous.

Already, Lex had people looking into Edward, trying to find something that would back him off. So far they were coming up empty, but with a man like Edward, it was only a matter of time before something unsavory popped up. What he had to worry about now, was protecting Lana. At his request, Mr. Dalglish from the precinct sent over copies of the letters the police had in evidence.

The first was dated September 17, 2004 from Paris.

_Dear Darling Jason,_

_Thank you so very much for sending me your letter. You know it means so much to me to hear from you, especially now that you've gone. Paris, I'm afraid, isn't quite the same without you. I do wish you would return soon. _

_So you have become a high school football coach? Jason, I don't know what to say about that. My son was never supposed to be such a thing. If you had stayed here, imagine all that you could have done! Imagine what you could do still! The world is so much bigger than Kansas, as you well know. That you went there for a girl, that girl in particular, is bothersome, because I know, and you know in your heart that it won't last. I'm truly sorry for saying so._

_I fear for you there. I'm afraid of losing my only son. Please don't get too close. I know you care for her, your description was quite lovely, but be wary my love._

_Forever, Mother_

The second letter was dated March 21, 2005 from St. Petersburg, Russia

_Dearest Son,_

_I have no doubt after what you have told me, that Lex Luthor has the artifact that we want. Take care, my love, that you do not get too close to him or his father while I am away. _

_I am sorry about your problems with Lana, I know how you felt about her, but this is for the best. I will be home as soon as I possibly can and we can be together again._

_Forever, Mother_

Lex re-read the letters twice, and was glad that they weren't as loaded as he thought they might be. The letters were circumstantial, but the hair they found on Genevieve's body was troubling. It directly connected Lana to the body.

"Whatcha doing?" Lana asked, walking into his office. He put the letters under a folder and smiled at her.

"Did you pick out a dress?" he asked.

"I've narrowed it down."

"Well, you know if you can't decide . . ."

"Lex. I'm just going to pick the one." She smiled bashfully. "For now," she added.

"Are you going to bed?"

"Yeah. Long day. Are you still working?"

He looked over at the folder on his desk. "No," he finally said. He turned off his desk lamp and followed Lana into the hallway.

She chose to wear a purple dress for their first outing, and he wore a tie to match. He waited for her in the drawing room downstairs, and checked his watch. The travel time would be more because they were going by limo, but it wouldn't be any good to take his girl out in the helicopter while she's all dressed up. The absurdity of that thought made him laugh. "What's so funny?" she asked, and he looked up. She stood at the top of the stairs, smiling at him.

She was stunning. She left her hair loose in waves, with gold jewelry at her ears and wrist, but her neck was naked and exposed. The deep purple dress that she wore had tiny (pornographic) spaghetti straps, and was fitted to her bosom, exposing a tantalizing swath of cleavage. The skirt was loose, asymmetrical and flowed around her as she slowly descended the stairs. Her high heels clicked loudly on the marble.

He suddenly flashed to a memory from over two years before. Lana had been prepared to go out to dinner with her biological father for the first time, but the bastard canceled on her at the last minute. She'd stopped over at the mansion to bring Lex some papers from the Talon, still dressed up. She'd been beautiful then too, in a green dress. She looked sad, and as she stood to leave, he told her, "You look very pretty," and she'd smiled.

Lana reached the bottom of the stairs, and Lex made a twirling motion with his hand so that she'd turn around for him. She did, and then he took her hand and kissed it. "You look very beautiful," he said to her, his voice thick with memory. Something like recognition flashed in her eyes. "Shall we go?" he asked, offering her his arm. She took it, and they headed out to the car.

As soon as they got out of the limo, people turned their heads to look at them. Not that that was unusual for Lex. People often did a double take when he was around, at least to check out his bald head. But this time, all eyes were on Lana, and he felt proud having her on his arm. She was easily the most beautiful woman around, and even though he could tell she was nervous, she hid it well. There were a few photographers outside, and they did the obligatory pose before heading inside.

It was about twenty minutes before the presentation was the begin, so they mingled. Lex was amazed by how many people walked over to say hello to him, when usually they didn't. So he introduced them to Lana, who smiled and was utterly charming. There were even a few people there that Lana had met at the museum, so she got to do the same, introducing Lex as her boyfriend.

The presentation lasted 56 minutes. After 13, people began squirming, and by the time 35 came around, they were whispering to each other. Finally it ended, and everyone clapped pledging to give their last dollar to the great cause. Afterwards came dinner. It wasn't the best, but at least they were being rewarded for their numb fannies.

At Lex and Lana's table sat the Mayor of Metropolis, Buck Sackett and his wife Joan; Socialite Penelope Van Buren (a woman isn't anyone in Metropolis society without her blessing); Professor of Astrophysics David Lemmer; and Editor in Chief of the Metropolis Journal Jay Zuckerman and his wife Anne, a painter.

"Lovely event," said Penelope dryly. "Though I much prefer the benefit for the Metropolis Children's Hospital from last May." Joan nodded in agreement. "Yes, I liked the food at that one." She picked at her lemon chicken and wrinkled her nose.

"Oh come now," said Mayor Sackett. "This one was much more entertaining, if only for the company." He raised a glass at Lana and smiled. Lana smiled back.

"Oh, yes. You've been getting a lot of press lately," Anne told her.

"Especially from your husband," Lex said, and everyone laughed. The Journal, like the Daily Planet was painting a slightly better picture of Lex and Lana's relationship than rags like the Inquisitor who only printed trash. Lex aimed to keep Lana in their good graces.

"So Lana," Jay began. "How is you work at the Metropolis Museum going?"

"It's going well," she said. "The people are nice, and I enjoy the work."

Penelope leaned over on her chair, and her flaming red hair curled over her shoulder. "You know, the Metropolis Cultural Center holds meetings every other Thursday. That might be something you'd like to attend. Lillian Luthor sat on the board, and was very active in it in her day."

Lana thanked her, and Penelope beamed. It wasn't everyone that she took under her wing.

"So tell me Mr. Lemmer," Lex said, setting his fork down. "Is the sky falling again anytime soon or what?" Everyone laughed, and David replied, "I'll have to get back to you on that," and they all laughed again. Lana squirmed a little in her seat at the tacky question, and Lex gave her a reassuring pat on the leg under the table.

Anne noticed and said suggestively, "So, you two have been together for a while now." Jay Zuckerman's news ears perked up and he leaned in to pay attention.

"Things are looking serious," Penelope agreed. "How about it Lex? Tired of the bachelor's life?"

Lex laughed a little and sat back in his chair. "Lana's making me come around," he teased.

"And?" continued Anne to Lana. "What about you? Should we be expecting to see you sporting any new jewelry soon?" Lana blushed and looked at a loss for words. Finally, while looking at Jay, she said, "No comment." Everyone laughed again.

"Wise words, wise words," chimed Joan, and her husband agreed. "She's already behaving like a politician's wife." Lana looked over at Lex, and he winked at her.

The evening was a success. All of the right people met Lana, and saw them together. She separated from him a few times when Penelope dragged her away to introduce her to other upstanding people. Even as an older woman, she was a woman with her ear to the ground. Joan, Mayor Sackett's wife was also taken with Lana, and that helped tremendously. The Mayor was already proving to be a useful ally in covering up some of Lex's dealings in Metropolis, and no doubt he'd be there for Lana, especially if he thought there was a chance that he and her might get married.

The ride back to Smallville was long. Metropolis was about 100 miles South, so the drive itself took a little under two hours. After several minutes of chatting about the people they'd met and talked to, Lana kicked her shoes off and curled up next to Lex with her head on his chest. He took his jacket off so that she wouldn't get cold, and wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close. In no time she fell asleep, and lulled by the sounds of the car, Lex fell asleep also with his head resting on the back of the seat.

About twenty minutes away from home, Lex awoke and stretched his neck muscles. Lana turned her face towards him, and he was surpised to see that she was already awake.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she answered in a small voice. Her arm, which had been draped across his belly, was now resting in his lap. It must have fallen there while she was sleeping, but she never bothered to move it. This was encouraging.

Her eyes were still locked onto his, and he reached a hand out to brush her hair back. "Did I tell you," he asked softly. "That you were the most beautiful woman there tonight?" She shook her head a little and blushed. "There were a lot of women there," she answered.

He smiled at her and caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "You're the only one I could see."

Lana swallowed, but kept her eyes on him. He put a little pressure on her back, and pulled her gently up to him for a kiss. His jacket slipped down to the seat. She met his lips eagerly, pressing her body close to his. He deepened the kiss and she moaned a little, meeting each thrust of his tongue with one of her own.

And somehow Lex knew that this night would be the one.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Night, the Beloved**

He turned his body towards her and she wriggled more fully against it, her breasts touching his chest, her hips flush against his pelvis. Of their own volition, his hands began roaming over her back like they had so often over the past several weeks. They delighted in the smooth naked skin of her upper back and shoulders, and gripped the restrictive cloth of her dress. He wanted to feel her body, wanted to roll her over in the seat right now and simply touch every part of her that had been hidden for so long.

His hands found her little round hips, and he pulled her closer to him, grinding, wanting her to feel how hard she was making him. But she knew already. She moaned into his mouth, and pushed back, letting him roll and twist her hips against him however he pleased. When he could stand it no more, his hands cupped her bottom. The dress she wore was thin, but it was still a barrier between her and him, and he hated it suddenly. Hated that it dared be between them.

Without asking, without waiting to see what she'd say, he thrust his hands under her skirt to touch her. She still wore panties, but they could stay there for now. He didn't want this to go too fast. Better to take it nice and slow.

Breathless, he leaned back to look at her with his hands still firmly placed under her dress. One wrapped around her hip to her ass, and the other had pushed it's way up to her back, stroking the smooth flesh. Her eyes were glazed over, full of lust and passion and everything he'd ever wanted to see from her. Everything he always knew she had in her.

Both were breathing hard, locked in a powerful embrace when the limo driver called to say that they were entering Smallville. Regretfully, Lex removed his hands from under her dress, and smoothed it down for her. She put her shoes back on, and they just sat there together, silent.

The car pulled up the long drive, and Lex looked out the window, seeing nothing really and wondered what the fuck he was going to do now. He was literally terrified. Lana was different from the dozens of other women he'd had sex with. He'd never been so intensely passionate, so ridiculously lovesick, so stupidly happy to just hold her if she gets scared and can't do it. He'd never wanted so badly not to screw it all up.

The car stopped and the driver came around to open the door. Lex got out first, and held his hand out to Lana. She took it, smiling up at him. In the light he could still see the passion burning in her eyes. In his ardor, it took a supreme amount of concentration to do the simplest of tasks. He fumbled for his keys, making Lana giggle a little when he picked the wrong one. He smiled at her and opened the door wide, allowing her in first.

It was late and the house was dark. Most of the servants had either gone home, or were snuggled down in their bungalows on the Luthor estate. With practised efficiency, Lex made his way through the dark halls with Lana's hand firmly held in his. He asked if she was hungry, she said no. He asked if she wanted a drink, she said no. He asked if she wanted to watch television or something, and she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to kiss her in the hallway.

Her body told him exactly what she wanted loud and clear.

He pressed her against the wall and crushed his mouth to hers, tasting, licking, nibbling on her lips with his teeth. Her little body shivered under his, and he relaxed, pulling back slightly to steady himself. She planted butterfly kisses on his neck where she could reach, and he found it hard to concentrate.

He stopped her, and looked for her eyes in the dark. "Are you sure you want this?" he asked her hoarsely. It was still possible for him to stop if he had to. Just barely.

He could feel her indecision thick in the air, and for a moment he felt afraid of what she would say. "We can wait," he said reassuring her. "If you need to, we can wait."

She shook her head, but didn't seem to have the words to say it. "Tell me," he coaxed her. She seemed on the verge of tears, and he pulled her into an embrace. "It's okay," he said.

She shook her head again. "No," she whispered. "I...I want this." He cupped her face with his hands. "Are you sure?" he asked again. She nodded. "Yes. So much, Lex, please." Her gentle pleading ripped through him stronger than any harsh demand could have, and he fell into her, kissing her so slowly and thoroughly that he felt drunk with it. Feeling dizzy, but happier than he could remember being, he leaned away and took her hand, leading to their bedroom.

Lex opened the door and let her in first, closing it behind them. He turned the lock like he did every night and then looked at her standing there, a silhouette against the soft glow of moonlight filtering in from the windows. She clasped her hands in front of her, and looked nervous, like she didn't know what else to do.

He laid his jacket over a chair, and then took her purse from her, setting in down on the dresser. He took off his watch and cuff links, and similarly she took out her earrings and slipped off her bracelet. His tie came off next, and then he went down on one knee to remove her shoes. She placed her hands on his back for support as he lifted one foot and then the other, brushing his fingers over her delicate ankles as he did so.

He stood up and she had to tilt her head back to look at him, her eyes filled with anticipation. He smiled to ease her nerves, and then pulled her close, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. That this wasn't just about sex for him. That he spent every waking moment of his life hoping that he could be the man that she loved back. That this was real.

But the words wouldn't come. Instead he leaned over and met her mouth, hoping to convey everything he felt with a kiss. Her arms wound their way around his neck and pulled him in tighter. He let her take the lead, exploring his mouth with her tongue and letting her hands roam over his body. They fumbled at the buttons on his shirt, and she pulled away from him to focus on the task.

With each button that opened, he felt more naked, more vulnerable and realized that he was paralyzed under her touch. He supposed some people might find that humorous- the great Lex Luthor brought to his knees by this beautiful virgin.

She set his body on fire, and he fought the urge to just scoop her up and take her right there. As infinite as his patience had seemed to him, he felt as though he were hanging on to it now by a thread, desperately gripping with his fingernails. He wondered if this could be called insanity.

His shirt dropped to the floor, and the cool air was a welcomed relief to his heated skin. Her hands were everywhere, and he knew that she delighted in this, the handling of his body, and he missed it. Missed it so much that his skin seemed to reach out to her, begging to be touched.

Down she went, and his heart skipped a beat as she kneeled down on the floor to remove his shoes, showing him the same careful attention that he did to her. Seeing her down there like that only aroused him further, and the memory of her wet tongue traveling the length of his penis made him throb painfully.

Done, she rose slowly, her hands snaking their way up his legs and then over his hardness, tempting him beyond the boundaries of control. He groaned and then assaulted her mouth roughly. She didn't shrink away, rather gave herself to him fully, giving and taking in an almost obscene display of pure carnal lust.

His hands gripped at the offending material of her dress again, and he finally decided that it had to go. Turning her around gently, he pushed down one of her straps and kissed the flesh it exposed, wrapping his other arm around her waist tightly. Her fingers wound through his, and she leaned into him, gasping when he nibbled at her earlobe.

The zipper of her dress came down smoothly and in an instant the fabric tumbled to the floor in a purple waterfall. He sucked in a breath as he gazed at her black strapless bra and tiny bikini panties. She turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder, waiting for his next move.

The space between them was magnetic, and he could feel it grow thicker as he crept up behind her, pressing his body firmly into hers. Naked skin touched naked skin and the contact was electric. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, resting it there. From this angle he could see the front of her body, her heaving chest and the gentle slope of her cloth bound breasts. It was this position that they slept in the most- his favorite.

Slowly, his hands traveled from her hips across the familiar landscape of her belly. Her hands soon covered his, and together they slid sensuously upwards, over her abdomen and ribs to cup her breasts. Not wanting to break the contact of their bodies just yet, Lex thrust his hands into her bra and captured them. She moaned when he clasped her hard nipples between his fingers lightly, and they stood there, cheek to cheek for a moment, just waiting. Finally he squeezed a little and she shuddered violently, writhing her body against his.

His body screamed out for more, and reluctantly he released her breasts to pick her up and carry her to the bed. He put her down and crawled in after her. Not willing to just lay there, she got up on her knees and put her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely. His tongue met hers eagerly, and his hands wrapped around her back, undoing the clasp of her bra. It slid to the bed, and Lex released her mouth to look her, memorizing the secret color of her nipples.

Looking fearless, Lana reached down to his pants and stroked the bulge again, looking delighted to see his guttural reaction. Her warm fingers carefully undid his zipper and released him, holding it lovingly in her hand. He grasped her shoulders to steady himself as she slid her hands down to the tip and back again. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, she let him go, and put her hands inside of his pants to push them down. Quickly, he removed them and then leaned her back on the bed.

"You are so beautiful," he said as he ran his hands over her body. She blushed like she always did when he said such things, and smiled at him, pride shining in her eyes. Finding home again, he slanted his mouth across hers stroking his tongue slowly in and out, tasting her, readying her for what was to come.

His lips followed an unseen path down her neck, dropping luscious kisses to her collar bone and then down the curve of her breast. He flicked his tongue gently against a hard nipple, and she sucked in a sharp breath at the new sensation. He wound a wet trail around it, feeling her body tense up more and more until he finally took the crest into his mouth. She moaned and arched her body, encouraging him to continue.

While he lavished attention on first one nipple and then the other, his hand drifted down below her belly and teased the sensitive flesh just above her pantie line. He played with the waistband for a moment, and then slipped his hand inside. Soft skin and silky hair, absolutely drenched with need.

His mouth returned to hers as his fingers slipped between her tender folds to touch her. She exhaled heavily as if something inside of her were melting, and he leaned back to remove her panties. Carefully, he eased a finger inside of her, and inside felt a stab of panic. She was very tight, and he was suddenly afraid of hurting her. "Does this hurt?" he asked with concern.

"No," she said, shaking her head. Reassured, he alternated between moving his finger in and out of her with stroking her engorged clitoris. Her smoky moans were only interrupted by his mouth on hers, and her hips arched into his questing fingers. He felt a deep shudder begin within her, and knew she was about to come. He released her mouth and she settled her face in the crook of his neck as her body shook violently with her orgasm.

He kissed her forehead, and removed his fingers, leaning over to the bedside table to retrieve a condom from the drawer. She watched through half closed lids as he opened the wrapper and rolled it on. He settled himself between her legs and took a moment to just look at her, open and waiting for him with what looked like love in her eyes.

"Pull your knees back," he whispered to her, covering her body. She did, and he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and then her lips. Unable to wait any longer, he rubbed himself lightly at her opening and then entered her, gasping at her tightness.

She cried out softly, and he froze, barely midway in. "Do you need me to stop?" he asked. She bit her lip and shook her head no. He continued gingerly until he was fully inside her and then stopped to let her rest. He waited until she wiggled beneath him in anticipation before withdrawing to plunge forward again. Doing so caused a cascade of pleasure to ripple through him, not just physically, but mentally. He was relieved to finally be getting release, but also the incredible thrill of being joined with her body at last was something that he couldn't quite fathom.

His first strokes inside her were slow and deliberate. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and held onto him tightly, her face buried in his neck. There were no words for the blinding passion between them. No more thoughts left in his head other than her. Her name. Her smell. The heat of her sex that enveloped him.

He turned to look at her, to watch her face as he pulsed within her. "Am I doing right?" she asked in a small voice.

Her question tugged at his heart. "Yes," he answered back in a throaty voice. _God, you feel good._

Lex plunged into her possesively, wanting to own her, wanting to somehow brand her as his. The power he felt was intoxicating, but humbling as well because he understood that Lana too had this power. She'd cast a spell over him that he knew now would never be broken. Never be extinguished. Somehow this girl owned _him._

Lex felt himself getting close, and he groaned loudly, lifting her hip to drive himself deeper within her. His body began to shudder and the power of his orgasm jolted the foundations of his entire world. He laid his head down on her shoulder and she wrapped herself around him, her hands grazing over his back, her lips everywhere she could reach. There was no sound but their ragged breathing and thundering heartbeats.

The fog of sleep was quickly descending and though it was hard to concentrate, Lex knew one thing- She finally belonged to him, and he was never going to let her go.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: Essential to the Whole**

Early morning sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, and blanketed the room in soft colored squares. Birds were singing, the house was waking up, and Lex was making love to Lana. This in itself was an extraordinary achievement considering it wasn't long ago that she wouldn't even kiss him in the daytime.

Over the past couple of weeks, momentous changes had occurred in their relationship. After being together that first time, Lex wanted more. True, what they had was incredible, but Lex freely admitted to himself that he was insatiable and as such, her naked body lying there next to his was powerful temptation. He told himself to leave her alone, to not push too much onto her new body, but that only lasted till about 3 a.m. Yes, I am a bastard, he told himself as he gently rolled her hips in his direction. She awoke just as he was pressing himself into her.

Luckily for him, Lana was an eager participant in their love life, and a willing student. Naturally, she was enormously shy during the day (still was), but at night she blossomed. They made love so many times that Lex finally had to call for a full weekend cease-fire, so they could rest. Little by little, he began bringing Lana into the light. First, he lit candles in their room, and then later, he left the bedside lamp on.

Pulling her out of her shell was challenging, but so incredibly worth it. After the months of seeing her only in shadows, it was almost unfathomable how erotic it was to see her bathed in light.

And on this morning, for the first time, Lex was seeing Lana in sunlight. It was a Sunday, and as per her request, they slept in on this day. Her warm body had snuggled next to his, and she wrapped her arm around his waist. Instantly alert, Lex opened his eyes to see if she was up to anything. Her hand slipping into his pants a moment later was a pretty clear signal.

Still sleepy, she let him roll her over onto her back, spreading her legs for him as she did so. Lana was on the pill now, so condoms wasn't something that they had to worry about as much these days. After pushing the top of her gown down to spend some quality time with her breasts, Lex slid into her in one smooth, solid stroke. She sighed in contentment, and Lex gazed at her flushed face and messy hair. She was at her most beautiful in the morning.

"Open your eyes," he whispered heavily. He wanted her to know who was making her feel this way. She did, and he leaned down to kiss her, still moving in and out of her smoothly. This was a hell of a way to start the day!

Afterwards, with the languor of sex still hanging heavily upon them, they stayed in bed for a while. Lex was on his stomach, uncovered, and Lana was at his side, raised up on her elbow. He could feel her eyes on him.

"What are you doing?" he asked sleepily.

"Just looking," she answered.

"At my ass?"

"Well I was looking at the freckles on your back, but now I'm looking at your ass." He laughed and rolled over, pulling her on top of him. Her gown was still in a tangle around her waist, and as much as he'd seen her bare breasts lately, they were still incredibly distracting.

"I have an idea," he said, as he swept her hair back from her face.

"That can't be good." She made a face and shook her head.

"I think we should go on an outing later."

"Oh yeah? To where?"

"Well, that's a surprise."

"No hint?"

"None."

She pouted, poking him in the side before climbing off and heading to the bathroom. She wriggled out of her nightgown, and then disappeared behind the door. When the shower turned on, Lex smiled and decided to join her.

Before leaving to run a few errands, Lex went outside to check on the progress of Lana's pond. It was no longer just a pond, rather it had now become a giant Japanese stroll garden with a waterfall, stone-lined twisting paths and hundreds of exotic plants. Work on the garden wouldn't be complete for several months, and the race was on to get as much done before the first snow came.

He found the designer, Isaburo Kashida overseeing the creation of a small island in the middle of the new pond. "Mr. Kashida," Lex said in English. The man turned around and they talked briefly in Japanese. The island would be tortoise shaped, representing 10,000 years of longevity. Lex thanked him for being so dedicated to his work, and felt proud of Lana for coming up with the idea. Just like she had to the Talon, Lana was bringing new life to this old place.

As he was on his way out, he saw his father standing by the well. "Dad?" he called.

Lionel turned around and smiled. "This is an interesting addition to the property," he said. Lex was actually surprised that he had something positive to say.

"Yeah, Lana wanted to do it. All of this was her idea."

"Making her mark."

"I suppose."

"And what about you son? Is the Senate race how you plan to make your mark?" There was a slight hint of mockery to his voice, and Lex immediately went on the defensive.

"It's a start," he replied carefully.

"Ahh. So you plan to become in the eyes of the public the dutiful hero. A humble man who just wants to make a difference in the world."

"I'm not surprised that you doubt my motives."

Lionel chuckled. "And Lana completes the facade doesn't she? Making you look like a family man. It's why your poll numbers have risen so sharply."

"Well Dad, it's nice to see you taking an active interest in my affairs."

"I know you son" he said seriously. "I know what you want, and you are kidding yourself if you think being a humble anything will ever satisfy you. Lana will end up being left behind."

Lex glared at his father, and stepped closer so that no one could hear. "I don't plan on leaving Lana anywhere Dad. Where I go, she'll go, no matter what." He turned to leave, but stopped to say, "Thanks for your concern though."

From a distance, he heard Lionel mutter, "That's what everyone says in the beginning."

Things in Smallville were improving as well. Many of the houses and buildings were well on their way to being repaired, and life was beginning to go on as usual. The town celebrated when the foundation for the new Talon was poured, and the first beams of it's skeleton were lately being put into place. Lex talked to the building contractor, and was on his way back to his car when a familiar face stopped him dead in his tracks.

Clark Kent.

"Clark?" He'd often gone missing for months at a time, only to suddenly show up again, but it was always a surprise when he did. Seeing him now was both good and bad. Good because he actually did worry about him, but bad because the last thing he needed was Clark screwing with Lana's head.

"Lex." Clark walked over to him, and gave a strained smile. "I can't believe the Talon burned down," he said.

"A lot's happened since you've been away," Lex replied. "Where have you been?"

Clark averted his eyes, and Lex knew that he wasn't going to say. "Have you been to see your folks?"

"No, but I checked on the farm," said Clark. "The house is finished. Looks nice." Lex said nothing, and merely stood there with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Clark to ask about her. He didn't have to wait too long.

"How's Lana?" Clark asked. He looked nervous.

"She's fine."

"I guess she's been staying at the mansion since the Talon burned down?"

Lex debated on what to say. Should he pretend that he was only being generous with Lana, or should he opt for the truth, as strange as that notion seemed? For once, he went with the latter.

"She lives there now, Clark. With me." Clark's face fell a little, and he stayed silent for a while. He looked out over Main Street and sighed.

"So much has changed," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Things often do."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Lex couldn't quite pinpoint it, but something about Clark was different. When he turned back to him, he looked him straight in the eye, and projected a feeling of power. Something had definitely happened to him, had altered him. "I'm not staying," Clark said finally. "Tell Lana. . . Tell her that I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye."

Lex nodded to him, but of course he wasn't going to tell Lana anything, and the look in Clark's eye told him that he knew it. The two men stood face to face, and Lex knew that their relationship had changed forever. As Clark walked away, Lex couldn't help but feel as if they would meet again someday, as enemies.

"This is our big outing?"

"What, you don't like it?" Lex asked as he loaded the gun.

"Well, I'm a little surprised is all. I expected dinner or something." She watched as he spun the cylinder, and snapped it into place.

"I thought it was time you learned how to shoot."

"Because we're a goin huntin?" she asked with a note of sarcasm in her voice. Lex smirked at her, and set the gun down on the table next to them. They were in a private gun range in Metropolis.

"Here," he said as he moved behind her. "Stand with your legs slightly apart, and turn your body at an angle. If a person is trying to shoot you, you want to give them less of a target to aim at." He picked up the gun again and handed it to her.

"This is a .357 revolver loaded with .38 wad cutter bullets. They have a smaller powder charge so they'll kick less. And this gun is heavier, so it'll help absorb some of the kick as well."

"Why do I have to use a revolver instead of one with a clipy thing?" Lex was amused with her terminology.

"A revolver has less moving parts, so that's why we're using it now. It's a good gun to learn on. There is no safety, but right now there isn't a bullet in the chamber. Even if you were to drop it, it wouldn't accidentally fire."

"That's comforting," Lana said nervously. She turned the gun over in her hands, getting a feel for it.

"You're going to hold it with both hands," Lex said, demonstrating. "Keep your finger on the trigger guard, and not on the trigger itself. That way you won't accidentally shoot something without meaning to."

He pushed a button on the wall, and a paper silhouette began moving backwards down the shooting lane. She put the gun down briefly to pull her hair back into a pony tail, and put her earplugs in. Retrieving the gun, she pointed it down the lane and cocked the hammer.

"All right now, bend your knees a little, keep your shoulders balanced. I want you to aim above the target at first, and then let it drop down slowly until your sights line up." Even though her posture was a little stiff, Lex had to admit that she looked pretty natural.

He stood behind her with a hand on her waist. "As soon as your ready, make sure you squeeze the trigger, don't pull it. If you pull it, it'll pull the whole gun up and you'll miss your target. Keep both of your eyes open."

Lana took a breath and then held it as she squeezed the trigger. She gasped at the kick, and then squealed to see that her bullet had at least hit her target. It was way off center, almost off the page, but still there.

"Good," Lex told her. Lana went through several rounds, and finally began hitting closer to the center of the target. For a beginner, she was doing very well.

"I want to try something else," she said after emptying her gun again.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Lex cautioned.

She had a gleam in her eye when she looked over her shoulder at him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Secrets and Lies**

When Lex's contact at the police precinct called again, Lex knew in his gut that it would be bad news. Things had been going so well, that something had to happen to screw it all up.

"They have a witness," Dalglish said.

"Who and what did they see?"

"It's a woman who works at the Smallville Savings and Loan. She says she saw Genevieve Teague walk into the Talon on the night before the meteor shower."

"So? She could have been getting coffee."

"Witness says Genevieve never left. This is bad Lex. They're talking arson again."

"The witness couldn't have been watching the Talon the entire time. She'd be shredded on the stand."

"It still puts her there, and since the M.E. couldn't be sure when exactly she died . . ."

"How did they find this witness?"

"She came forward yesterday."

Lex sat forward in his chair. "Yesterday? She just suddenly decided to come forward out of the blue?" He thought for a moment, and then said, "What time does did she see Genevieve enter the Talon?"

"She was working, so it would be before 5. Banking hours."

Lex smiled. Before five, Genevieve was in the woods trying to get information out of him and his father. Edward had obviously hired a phony witness in a desperate effort to get Lana arrested.

"Thank you Mr. Dalglish. Let me know if you get anything else." Lex hung up and sighed. He was going to have to deal with this Edward thing very soon.

When it rains, it fucking pours. Only a little while after Dalglish's call, Chloe Sullivan arrived at the mansion. Lana saw her often enough when she was in Metropolis, so it could only have been more bad news for Chloe to have travelled all the way to the mansion.

"Where is Lana?" she asked when the staff brought her to Lex's office.

"What, no hug?" Lex asked sarcastically.

"I need to speak with her."

"Well, then you probably should have called Chloe," he said. "She's not here right now."

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

"She went out to lunch with a friend of hers, Rebecca Faulk. I imagine once she's done, she'll come home." Rebecca was a woman that Penelope introduced Lana to at the Charity Gala. She was married to Stephen Faulk, heir to a shipping fortune and had gotten along with Lana immediately. They were about the same age, and Rebecca was expecting her first child.

Chloe digested this information for a moment, and then said, "I know what you did."

"Last Summer? Or the one before?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"And what is it that you think I did this time?" he asked her, sounding bored.

"You burned down the Talon so that Lana would have to live here," she said. She had the bright eyes and flushed face of the very angry.

"The fire in the Talon was an unfortunate accident," Lex replied. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs and smiled, refusing to be rattled. "Lana has always been free to leave . . . if she wanted to."

"I've seen the reports Lex. The gas line in the kitchen looked like it had been tampered with."

"Before or after it exploded into tiny pieces?" Lex quipped. Chloe shook her head, and turned to leave.

"Lana needs to know the truth, and I'm going to tell her," she said.

After she left, Lex called to check on Lana. She sounded fine and promised to be home soon. After four hours though, she still hadn't arrived, and Lex began to feel nervous. He tried calling her again, but her phone kept going to voicemail. While he was trapped in a meeting, he was notified that she had returned home, and he had to force himself to concentrate for the next half hour on weapons testing for the military.

Once everyone left, Lex poured himself a drink to steady his nerves. Just before he went to go and find her, Lana walked into his office stiffly, and he knew something was wrong. Chloe had obviously found her.

"Lana, what. . ." he began, but stopped short once she got closer to him. Her eyes were red and puffy as obviously she'd been crying, and she was clearly very angry. When he saw a flash of gold in her hand, he knew why.

For her 17th birthday, Lex bought Lana a gold bracelet. He knew it was a little too extravagant, but he did it anyway, and since she had been so happy to see him alive after thinking he was dead for so many months, she didn't reject it. When she wore it, he felt loved somehow and it was nice to know that at least she was there.

Before Lex had the Talon burned down, he made sure that the bracelet was saved. Just like he couldn't sell the Talon while she was in Paris, he couldn't bear the thought of letting go. It had been hidden until Lana found it just now. She must have come home to look for some kind of proof, and Lex kicked himself for being so carless.

"Where did you get this?" Lana asked, her voice thick with emotion.

He swallowed, unsure of what to say. "Lana. . ."

"Where did you get it?" she asked with more conviction. She waited for a moment, and when he didn't answer, she said, "Because it was in my room. It was in there when the Talon burned down. I know it was still there." She was so fiercely angry that her body was shaking lightly. Her eyes bored into his. "Say something!" she screamed at him.

"Why did you leave it?" he asked suddenly. She'd brought several pieces of jewelry from the Talon that day of the meteor shower, but that one she left behind.

Her eyes went wide. "Don't you dare try and turn this around on me. I lost pictures of my parents in that fire!" She was screaming again, holding the bracelet out in front of her. He tried to reach out to her to calm her down, but she jerked away.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted, and he winced inside. Her eyes began watering again, and the shaking of her body grew more intense. "You did it?" she asked in a small voice.

"Lana. . .Lana I. . ."

"You did it," she said again, tears flowing freely now. Lex shook his head, but had no words. She nodded, and backed away slowly, sobbing quietly. "You burned down the Talon. My parents. . . All I have. . . You did it."

Lex's own eyes began to water, and he felt fear more acutely than he had ever before in his life. "I'm sorry," he barely whispered.

Lana's head dropped and she started sobbing loudly, her body jerking. "Why?" she managed to say. "Why?"

Her eyes met his again, and they were filled with disappointment. "Why?" she asked again, her voice breaking.

"Because I wanted to protect you," he finally said, and she sank to the floor, her legs no longer willing to support her. She dropped the bracelet, and cried her heart out. Lex fell to his knees next to her, and put his arms around her. Surprisingly, she let him hold her, resting her cheek against his chest as she cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said over and over again as they rocked back and forth.

"How could you do that to me?" she asked when she could talk again. "How could you do something so terrible?"

"Because I love you," he said, and she raised her eyes to look at him. Crying so much had turned them a clear, brilliant green.

"You love me?" she asked.

He wiped away her tears and smiled the smallest smile. "Yes sweetheart," he said. "I love you."

"You love me?" she asked again, her voice raising. Lex could feel a sudden change in her posture, and saw fury pour into her eyes. Before he could think of what to say, she slapped him hard across the face. And then she slapped him again, the sting turning very warm against his cheek. She turned primal on him then, hitting and kicking and screaming. He grabbed her hands, and had to lay on her to keep her from hitting him, or hurting herself.

"Lana!" he screamed back at her. "I did it for you! If I hadn't, you would be in jail right now." She shook her head, still sobbing. "If there was anything else I could have done, I would have done it. If I had to burn down this whole fucking town, or murder every judge in the county, I would have done it, if it meant keeping you safe!"

She stopped fighting and looked into his eyes. "Destroying the Talon was the only option I had, and I did it. I would do it again. I will do anything I have to, to protect you."

She looked like she was about to say something when the door to the office opened. "Mr. Luthor?" one of the body guards asked. "Is everything all right." Lex pulled himself off of Lana and stood up.

"Everything is fine," Lex said, dismissing him. Lana clumsily got to her feet, and Lex worried that maybe he'd hurt her. He held an arm out to her, but she didn't take it. Not meeting his gaze, she wearily left the room.

After letting her cool off for a while, Lex walked into the bedroom expecting to find her sleeping, but she wasn't there. Looking to the right, he saw that the bathroom light was on, and he walked over to the door and knocked lightly. He heard the sound of water ripple, and knew she was in the bathtub. When he didn't get an answer, he opened the door slowly.

She sat in the bathtub with her knees pulled up to her chest, shielding his view of her body. She was no longer crying, instead simply looked red faced and tired. Lex kneeled next to the tub, and looked down at the floor, trying to figure out what to say. He had to fix this somehow, but didn't even know where to start.

"Lana, I'm sorry," he said again, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She didn't seem to have the energy to shy away from his touch. "I was scared Lana. Terrified of what would happen to you if Genevieve's blood was discovered in your apartment."

"You could have told me."

"I didn't want to upset you."

"Lex." She finally turned to look at him. "I am capable of understanding things and making difficult decisions. I'm not a child."

"I never said you were."

"Yes, you did. You unilaterally decided to do something without asking for my input. Parents do that, not . . ."

"Boyfriends," Lex finished for her, and she rested her forehead on her knees. The word that came into his head had actually been 'husbands,' and he wondered if it was hers as well.

"If you want this to work Lex, you have to treat me like an adult. Trust me."

"I do."

She looked up. "Do you?" Her eyes teared up again and she shook her head. "For the past couple of months, I have felt safer than I have in my entire life. Safe because I trusted you. I believed you when you said that everything would be okay. I thought that everything that happened in the last year was behind us."

"It is Lana. Everything's different now. I made a mistake in not telling you the truth, but I won't make it again." She sighed and looked away, no doubt thinking of all the times she'd heard that line before. Lex reached out for her chin, and turned her face gently back towards him. "I do trust you," he whispered. "My fear got the better of me, and I behaved badly because of it. Please let me make it up to you. Let me try."

She gazed into his eyes for a moment, looking deeply into their depths for any sign of deceit. Not finding any, she released her knees and raised up out of the tub to put her arms around his neck. He held her tightly and said a thousand silent prayers as the water dripped around them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: Pillow Talk**

After having their first big fight, things calmed down considerably for Lex and Lana. They talked well into the night with Lex promising several times to be more truthful with her. As much as he wanted to though, he knew he wouldn't. There were just too many things that Lana didn't need to know.

He did tell her more about the murder investigation, including the fake witness and showed her the letters. She was concerned, and understandably frightened that Edward would go to such lengths to hurt her. When she asked how he could do such a thing, Lex gently reminded her that Edward obviously loved his wife. A brief look of nervousness crossed her features, no doubt remembering the extremes that Lex himself had gone to.

Even though they called a truce, Lana was distant in the bedroom, and Lex figured that she'd need a few days or so to feel more welcoming of his touch. After a week and a half, he was starting to jump out of his skin.

To preoccupy himself, he went into overdrive trying to find something on Edward to get him to let go of Lana. He had dozens of detectives, ex-cops, street thugs and even an intelligence officer with the CIA looking into the man, and so far- nothing. The man didn't so much as forget to tip his waitress. Things looked bleak, until . . .

"You know Lex, if you want to know more about Edward Teague, you should probably be looking elsewhere," said Lionel. He was sitting in the breakfast room sipping coffee and reading The Daily Planet. Lana had not yet come down.

"What do you mean?" Lex asked, intrigued.

Lionel flipped the page of his paper. "I mean, you're trying to find cracks in his flawless career. There aren't any, that's why he's so good."

Lex sighed. "I have people looking into his personal life. There's nothing there. No affairs, no bitter friendships, nothing."

Lionel chuckled a bit, and peeked over the top of the paper. "Oh, I believe there is something there, you're just not looking hard enough."

"Dad, if there's something that you know, you should just come out with it."

Lionel exhaled loudly and folded his paper up, setting it down on the table. "Do I have to tell you everything?" he asked. Lex gave him an exasperated stare. "Fine," Lionel teased. "Let's just say that I have it on good authority that Edward did not often sleep with his wife. In fact, I'm not totally convinced that he ever did."

"So, Jason may not be his son?"

"Well, I don't know if he is or not, but you're missing the point."

"Which is?"

"If Edward wasn't sleeping with his wife, then who has he been with all these years?"

"I already checked on that, he never had an affair."

"He was never caught," Lionel corrected, finishing his cup. A servant scurried over to refill it, but he waved her away. "The girls he was with were paid well to keep their mouths shut."

"You mean he visited prostitutes?"

Lionel nodded. "At Claire's."

_Clack!_ As was his custom, Lex played pool when he had a lot on his mind. Lionel had refused to elaborate further on Edward's evening activities, and Lex suspected that there was something more to it. If it were just about prostitutes, well, that wasn't unusual. Certainly wouldn't warrant a special bulletin from Lionel.

How to find out more about it was tricky though. Claire's was a very secluded and upscale brothel in Metropolis that was so underground most cops didn't even know it existed. Only those with very high connections knew of it, and they kept their mouths shut because of the donations Claire provided to the police department. Their clientele was so exclusive that there was no way Lex would be able to get any of his investigators in there to look around. He would have to go himself.

Perfect moment for Lana to walk in. "What are you doing?" she asked. He didn't answer, since it _was_ obvious, but also because he had a lot on his mind. Could he go to Claire's? Is that why Lionel tipped him off? So that he could go and get caught by Lana? Was the tip from his father complete and utter bullshit?

"Hello?" Lana asked. _Clack!_ Lex sunk his cue ball and went to retrieve it.

"Sorry, Lana," he said. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"I can see that," she said, walking over to him. "Want to talk about it?"

_Hell no._ "No."

She looked at him suspiciously and then sat on the edge of the pool table near him. Right after he lined up his cue ball, she took it.

"Lana," he said, exasperated. "Put it back."

Her teasing attitude would have been cute if he hadn't been so frazzled. "Not until you tell me what's wrong," she said. Lex thought about that for a second, and then walked over to get another cue ball. As soon as it hit the table, she took that one also.

"Lana, for God's sake. . ."

"How many more of your balls do I have to grab before you start talking?" she snapped. She cocked an eyebrow and stared him down. He had to admit the implications of that were tempting, but knowing how fragile they were right now, particularly when it came to his honesty, he had to tell her something.

"I've been looking for dirt on Edward Teague to try and get him of our backs. Dad told me that Edward is a frequent patron of a brothel in Metropolis." He waited to see what she'd say.

She frowned. "Well I guess that's something."

"Well, I think there's more to it, but I can't send anyone in there to find out because they only allow very upscale people in."

She deflated a bit as she took that in. "Well," she said slowly. "Maybe we could go."

Lex swallowed and said, "Uh, I'm not sure that would work."

"Why not?"

"These are very prominent men Lana, and you're a woman who could very well be having lunch with their wives. Honey, you'd clear the room."

"Oh," she said with a little laugh. She handed his, ermm, balls back to him and hopped off of the table. He waited, unsure of what to say. Lana was clearly in deep thought herself. "If you were to go, would you have to do anything?" she asked cautiously.

"No. Some people just go for the company, play cards or whatever." She sat down on the black leather sofa, crossing her legs with an unreadable expression on her face. Lex put down his cue and went to sit next to her.

"Are you sure that going will even help."

"No."

"Do you think it will?"

"I think it could."

"Okay," she said finally. "Then you should go and see what you can find out." She turned to look him in the eye. "But no messing around," she warned.

The next day, Lex called Claire to make his appointment. Lana hadn't asked if he had ever been there before, and he certainly didn't tell. He was expected at 9 p.m.

All day he felt edgy in a way he couldn't really describe. Not only was he wondering what to say and who to ask about Edward, but also he was definitely feeling the pain of the current sex drought he was in. The fact that he'd soon be in a place where word would never get back to Lana didn't escape him, and he hoped that he would be stronger than he felt at the moment.

At dinner, he could barely swallow his food. Lana was equally nervous, barely touching her plate. Lionel on the other hand, scarfed down just about everything he was given, mopping his face delicately afterwards with a ridiculous look of happiness.

"Not eating?" he asked Lex and Lana. They ignored him.

It came time for Lex to leave, and he hugged Lana tightly, kissing her gently before stepping into the limo. The car pulled away, and she became small in the distance.

All the way into Metropolis, Lex debated on whether to have the driver just turn around. For all he knew, there wouldn't be anything useful for him to find at Claire's. But Lionel had seemed so smug. Damn him! Why didn't he just tell Lex what the big mystery was? Why did he always have to play these games?

His limo pulled into a parking garage in New Troy, the largest borough in Metropolis. Lex got out and into the car that was waiting for him. Another ten minute ride took them to the heart of Little Bohemia, a subsection of New Troy reserved largely for artists, actors and writers.

Claire's was a 1930s Gothic styled mansion that was nearly as large as Lex's castle. High walls surrounded the property, and only cars such as the one Lex was riding in now could enter through the massive iron gate. The lawns were immaculate, and lit with twinkling white lights.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the house, and a girl about the age of 20 with blond hair and wearing a pretty pink dress opened his door and took his coat. Another offered him a drink, which he swallowed immediately to quell his nerves. As he entered, he was discreetly told about the different areas of the house: The Cigar Room, Gentleman's Quarters, Green Room, Water Room and Ball Room. He was also reminded to visit Claire's office (to arrange for his services).

There was no sex out in the open in this place. Women were everywhere, but if you wanted them, you had to arrange for a bedroom. In order to decide who and what they wanted, men congregated in the various "mingling" areas. Even without paying for sex, a man could expect to drop at least $5,000 just for the privilege of being here.

The Cigar Room was exactly what it sounded like. Every fine cigar in the world could be found in this room for the men who liked that sort of thing. The Gentleman's Quarters was the main hall where men spent their time. There was music, food, the wet bar had hundreds of different drinks to choose from, and of course, there were women. They talked and laughed and pretended that each man was the king of the world.

The Green Room was where the poker and pool players came to play in high stakes games, and the Water Room had the indoor pool and sauna. Things did get a little racy in there, but security were always watching to ensure that it didn't go too far. The Ball Room was a favorite because it had a dance floor as well as a stage where the women put on performances every night. Every guy likes a good stripper.

Not ready to deal with Claire yet, Lex headed into the Gentleman's Quarters and ordered another drink, settling himself finally on a sumptuous, red sofa. The dozens of women around made him dizzy. They all smiled and waved at him, stopping by to chat. They weren't offended when he didn't feel like talking back, rather gave him a soft pat on the arm and told him they'd be over again to check on him soon. After the sixth girl left his side, Lex's head began to ache.

A woman suddenly leaned in behind him and he groaned. Her perfume reached out laike alasso to pull him in. How much temptation could he take? Her hands rubbed down his chest and over his belly, inching closer and closer to his crotch. For a split second he almost. . .

"Thank you," he said, arresting her hands. "But I don't need your services."

"Aw, come on boss," the familiar and very seductive voice cooed in his ear.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: Partners in Crime**

He jerked around and her lips immediately crashed into his in a passionate kiss. He didn't need his eyes to know who this woman was. He knew her already, had spent months learning her taste and body in the dark. When finally the kiss broke, he slowly opened his eyes to see her smiling at him.

"Surprise," she said as she walked around the sofa to sit beside him. She had on a short platinum blond wig, and was wearing a very tight fitting black dress, complete with spike heels and black stockings. Immediately, Lex looked around to see if anyone was eyeing his girl. They were.

"Lana, what are you doing here?" he asked, putting a protective arm around her. A man walked past them, eyeing Lana's legs appreciatively. _Fuck off pal, fuck off!_

"Shhh! You're going to ruin my cover," she whispered to him, leaning in close. As nervous as Lex felt having her there where anyone could see, he couldn't help but be powerfully aroused by her aggressiveness. He usually had to coax Lana into intimacy, ease her into it carefully. Now though, she teased him, one hand on his thigh, the other at his neck, her eyes liquid and seductive.

This was a Lana that he could definitely get used to. One that he'd caught a very brief glimpse of years before and always wanted to bring back out again. But not here.

"Lana," he began, but she silenced him with another intoxicating kiss. He had to force himself to pull away from her in an effort to form cohesive thoughts. "How did you get in here?" he asked breathlessly.

"Penelope helped me," she said, smiling coyly. "Apparently her and Claire are good friends."

Lex was surprised. "You've got people," he said with a laugh.

"I've got people," she agreed. The hell she did. Lex had never even heard of anyone getting into Claire's like that. Especially not a wife-type person. Just how had she manged that?

"Oh," Lana added. "I guess now you owe her a LOT of money." Lex laughed, and gazed at the little minx. She truly was his match. He reached out to touch her blond hair and grinned.

"Blond huh?"

She shrugged. "I thought it might be different enough so that I wouldn't get recognized."

_But not different enough so that you aren't noticed_. Even with the low lights of the large room they were in, Lex knew that they were being watched. It bothered him that Lana was not only being seen in this place, but that right at this moment men were no doubt wanting Lex to leave her side so that they could have her.

"Maybe we should go into a different room?" he suggested. Keeping a firm hand at the small of her back, he led her out into the hall.

"Now what?" Lana asked. She was definitely getting an eyeful.

"Listen," he said. "I need you to be careful, okay? Try and keep your eyes down, so that you don't get recognized. And if you see anyone that you know or have seen before, don't acknowledge it. We don't want to freak anyone out here."

"Of course, Lex," she said. "I know what's at stake here." She looked around at everything going on around her. "Let's go to the Ball Room," she said. It was darker, and they would stick out less. While he was busy looking around and being paranoid, she was perfectly at ease. Taking his hand, she led the way, swinging her hips provocatively.

They took a table at the back, and Lana ordered a mixed drink from their waitress. Finally alone and secluded, Lex began to relax. There were three strippers dancing on the main stage, and several lap dances going on. Feeling like he needed to say something, Lex offered, "Would you like a lap dance?"

"Actually, it looks frustrating," she answered seriously. Lex couldn't help but laugh at that. It was.

She turned to him with lust in her eyes. "I've had just about enough frustration lately, haven't you?" Lex snapped to attention, and met her eyes, keeping complete contact until the waitress arrived with Lana's drink.

"Thank you," he said to the woman, handing her a twenty. Lana wrapped her lips around her straw, licking the drop at the tip. Lex watched as she made out with her drink and was suddenly very regretful that they were in a public place. "You're teasing me," he said matter of factly. She smiled flirtatiously. "I would never dream of teasing you Mr. Luthor," she said in character.

The atmosphere of the place was definitely getting to them both. It was seductive in its debauchery, an extravagant orgy of pleasure that permeated everything and everyone who entered. It wound its dirty fingers around you like a snake and demanded that you heed its call. It would not be ignored.

Setting her drink aside, Lana slid over closer to Lex. She caressed his hand, and then pulled his fingers up to her lips, kissing them sweetly before taking them one at a time slowly into her mouth. He felt each little nip of her tongue clear down to his groin. While she sucked on his fingers, Lex slipped his free hand between her legs. Her eyes glazed over when he touched her, and she opened her thighs a little wider to give him better access.

Only in his wildest fantasies had he expected such a thing to come true. He knew full well that Lana was influenced heavily by the alcohol she'd had as well as the blatant sexual happenings around them, and hoped she didn't feel badly about it in the morning. But damn, what else did she expect would happen?

Forgetting that they were in fact surrounded by people, Lex ravished her mouth as his fingers sought shelter inside her. After a minute or two, she broke the kiss to whisper, "I have a room." She pulled herself off of him and stood on shaky legs. Together, they ascended the stairs that would take them to whereverthehell Claire had allowed them to stay for the night.

The key slipped twice in her hand before she finally opened the door, and they slammed it shut behind them. She clawed at his jacket and shirt, almost ripping it off of his body in her rush to find bare skin. His hands delved under her skirt as she kissed and bit at his neck, the fever in his blood pumping fiercely.

When his fingers slipped into her panties again, she jerked away from him suddenly with a mischievous look on her face. She pushed the blond strands of the wig out of her eyes and composed herself. At first Lex was confused until he realized that she was getting back into character. She turned to him, pressing her body against his.

"Do you want me?" she purred into his ear.

"I think you know that I do," he answered simply.

"Well then," she said as she nibbled on his ear lobe. "How much do you think I'm worth?"

He grinned and pulled out his wallet, taking ten 100 dollar bills out of the fold. "And what will this buy me?" he asked, handing her the money. She took it, her eyes sparkling.

"Anything you want."

She placed the money down on the table, and then turned around, bracing herself against the wall with her hands. He unzipped her dress, and let it fall to the ground, drinking in the sight of her. He unhooked her bra, and then removed her panties slowly, holding them so she could step out.

Kneeling on the floor at her feet, he looked up and fought wildly for control. She was a knockout standing there clad only in heels, thigh-high stockings and her blond wig. She peeked down at him, meeting his eyes in a challenge. _What now Mr. Luthor? _

Carefully, he spread her legs, and just looked for a moment before reaching up to touch her. When his mouth replaced his hand, she gripped the wall and exhaled forcefully. His first instinct had been to be gentle, but this wasn't the night for that. He took with his mouth and filled her with his fingers until she could barely support herself.

Even with her heels on, she wasn't tall enough for him to enter her while standing up, so he took her to the bed. With her help, he hastily removed the rest of his clothes, and then they fell together in a furious tangle. Gone were the gentle movements of their past. This night was for instinct, pure and primal.

Afterwards, they lay together in blissful exhaustion. He waited until she was asleep, before dressing and heading downstairs. At the late hour, most of the men were either gone or indisposed. He knocked on Claire's office door, and she let him in with a smile.

"Mr. Luthor," she said, holding the door open for him. "Do come in." Claire was still attractive in her mid sixties. A shrewd business woman, she was probably one of the wealthiest in Metropolis. She had a lined face from years of smiling and laughing, her brunette hair streaked with white. Her sapphire blue eyes saw things in her day that one could only guess about. She poured him a cup of orange tea, and sat beside him with her own.

"Your Lana is quite a woman," she said, stirring. Lex couldn't help but smile.

"Yes she is," he agreed.

"You know it is unusual for me to accommodate such a request from a client's significant other. I have only done it one other time. Messy affair that was." She took a sip, and then continued. "But Penelope assured me that Lana was not trying to catch you in the act, and so I chose to let her in."

"I appreciate that."

"I shan't do it again," she added. "Bad for business, you see. Unlucky." She smiled up at him in her no-nonsense way. "So tell me, Mr. Luthor. What did you want out of me?"

He got right to the point. "I wanted to ask you about Edward Teague."

She nodded slowly and set her tea down on the coffee table. "Edward Teague," she repeated. "You should know that I do not ever speak of clients. It's against my rules." She rose and walked over to a large filing cabinet. "It's fortunate for you though, that Mr. Teague is no longer permitted entrance here." Finding the file she was looking for, Claire clicked her tongue and pulled it out. She turned and looked at Lex with a sharp eye.

"What is it about Edward Teague that you'd like to know?" she asked.

"I want to know about the women he visited. What his habits were."

Claire shook her head and clicked her tongue again. She did not hand Lex the file, as he would have liked, rather took it to sit behind her desk with. With her reading glasses on, she flipped through the pages. "Mr. Teague began seeing us in the Winter of 1984," she said finally. "He was not a frequent guest, because frankly, he wasn't that welcome. He didn't have enough money to cover the damage he caused."

"What damage?"

"He never once had conventional intercourse with a woman here. Each time he was with a girl, he would use an object on her, sometimes carefully, others not. Most recently he was expelled from our establishment not six months ago for injuring a young girl in this way."

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"Seriously Mr. Luthor, and tell them what? To come and save our whores from aggressive suitors? No, his banishment is a far worse punishment I think."

Lex sat back in his chair and sighed. This wouldn't help. There was no way he could reveal what he knew here, because there was no way any of it could be backed up without mentioning Claire's. If only there were more. . .

"Was the other woman that you let in here Genevieve Teague?" he asked. Claire merely looked at him for a long while before answering, "No. It was another very prominnnt woman who wanted to know what her husband was up to." She did not name names, and Lex did not care to ask.

"Her son Jason was a client however," she said, and Lex's head snapped in her direction.

"Jason was here?" he asked.

"Well, I'd only divulge that because he is deceased," she answered. "But, yes, he came often enough. Most recently was in March."

"And?"

"Well, he didn't seem to be impotent like we suspected his father of being. But, as it turns out, he would only take older women that allowed him to call them Mother." Lex's jaw fell open. _I knew it! _"He did tell a story to one of our girls once, Madeline. He said that he was upset because his mother would tempt him, but never follow through. He took his anguish out here."

Lex's brain went into hyper-drive as he processed what he'd learned and how he could use it to help Lana. Even a rumour of incest would be enough to change the public opinion of Edward, but was he bastard enough to let such a story leak out? Well, yes.

Lex paid the woman a monstrous debt, and then headed back upstairs. As he walked back into the room, he's stopped by the image of Lana sitting up in bed. She's no longer wearing her wig, and there are slight smudges of mascara under her eyes. Her black stocking clad legs are sticking out from under the sheet that she's covered herself with. "Where did you go?" she asks, sounding worried. Lex sits beside her and decides to tell her everything except for the revelation about Jason, fearing that it would upset her.

They returned home, sleepy but ridiculously satisfied. Immediately, Lex set up anonymous tips about Jason and Genevieve's supposed affair to the print journalists. In 24 hours, they'd be swarming all over Edward. Feeling smug, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, closing his eyes in contentment.

"Find anything useful?" Lionel asked as he walked in.

"You could say that," Lex replied with his eyes still closed. "How did you know what I'd find?"

"Wild guess," he answered cryptically.

"Yes well, I appreciate the heads up Dad."

Lionel nodded. "And how was Claire?" he asked.

Lex looked at him with amusement in his eyes. "She was. . . interesting," he answered.

Lionel nodded, and smiled to himself. "Yes she is, that."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Sixteen: Staring Into the Abyss**

When the Mayor of Metropolis walked into his study, Lex was feeling the early anticipation of victory. Already Buck Sackett had proved himself to be a valuable asset to Lex in bending zoning and permit rules for him, and was agreeable to the occasional bribe. Good man to have around.

Lex almost felt badly for what he was about to do to him. "Buck!" Lex greeted, extending his hand.

"Lex, how's business?" the older man inquired. He was prematurely balding, and had the slouching stance of a man who's personal life peaked in high school and went downhill from there. How he managed to marry his wife Joan was definitely a mystery.

"Business is good," Lex said. "Poll numbers are better than ever." Lex got the man a drink and sat behind his desk. Buck reluctantly sat in one of his chairs opposite.

"You know, I usually sit on that side of the desk," he joked. Lex only smiled. _Not in this office you don't. _

"So what does the future Senator of Kansas want with this lowly public servant?"

"Buck, I have an irritating little problem that I can't seem to get rid of," Lex said.

"Yes, that one seems to be sticking, doesn't it?"

"Lana is being unfairly attacked by the police, and it needs to stop."

"I'm sorry Lex," said Mayor Sackett. "I've done all I can to hold this thing off, but Commissioner Henderson is adamant about putting that little girl of yours in jail. Nothing I can do to stop it anymore." He took a drink of his brandy and looked mildly, but unconvincingly sympathetic.

"You could if you wanted to," insisted Lex. Inside, he was angry, yet amused at the man's audacity. After all Lex had done for him . . .

"Lex, this one is just too big," the Mayor said with finality. He shrugged his shoulders, and Lex waited a moment before pushing a brown folder over to him. "What is this?" Sackett asked, opening it. His eyes went wide as he viewed the contents, and his face paled.

"I don't think your constituents would be too pleased to know that they voted a philanderer into office." Lex gave a small smile and watched as Sackett turned the black and white photographs of himself and other women. "Neither would your wife," Lex added.

Buck looked up at Lex in surprise, his mouth slightly open. "Why would you do this to me?" he asked stupidly.

Lex leaned forward and looked the scared man dead in the eye. "No one ever has to know about this, Buck. Lana is going to be my wife, and I will be Senator. Take care of her, and I will take care of you."

Within 24 hours, Lex was informed by his contact at the precinct that police finally concluded that Jason had killed his own mother in some kind of personal scuffle. There were several different factors that brought them to this conclusion. For one, the news implying that Genevieve and Jason were possibly having an incestuous affair was very hard to ignore.

Not only did they have anonymous "sources" paving the way, but they also had many suspicious letters and notes passed between the two, as well as reports from witness in their pasts who claimed that Jason had slept in his mother's bed until the age of 16.

Hard evidence was also found that supported this theory. The bullet wound in Jason's shoulder was made by the same type of gun that Genevieve owned. That gun was discovered in the ruble of the hotel, with Genevieve's fingerprints on it. Somehow, it took investigators several months to find it. The official story became that Genevieve shot Jason for whatever reason, and then he, in turn stabbed her with an unidentified object.

The report of him claiming at the Kent house that he couldn't find his mother, may have been some form of madness brought on by the trauma of the murder. This madness may also be the reason he was holding the Kent family hostage, wanting them to tell him the location of some mysterious stone. There is a sector of police who think this stone may have been the murder weapon, but it has not yet been found.

Immediately after the news broke, the scandal proved to be too much for Edward Teague. He went into hiding, and not even Lex's investigators could locate him. This was troubling, but clearing Lana's (and his) name took a massive weight off of his shoulders. A calm descended over the mansion, and everyone finally started to relax. Just in case, Lex filed a restraining order against him.

The calm before the storm however is always deceptively peaceful.

Work on the Talon was moving along rapidly. Ever since discovering the reason for it's destruction, Lana became actively involved in the project, and visited the site regularly. It now had walls and a roof, and the inside was being insulated. Plaster would come after that, and the Talon would soon look like a real place.

Lex parked his Porche outside, and walked into the familiar front doors. It was strange seeing it like this, but he knew Lana wouldn't just leave it barren. She would put her touch to it, and the place would live again. He found her sitting in a chair, looking over blue prints.

"Shouldn't you be wearing a hard hat?" he joked. She smiled up at him as he handed her a thermos of coffee, prepared for her at the mansion.

"Thanks," she said, raising up for a hello kiss. "I've decided to put in stadium seating in the theater," she said, showing him the plans.

"You'll lose some of the upstairs living quarters if you do that."

"I know," she said. "But nobody needs it anymore anyway. Plus I want a balcony. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"It would be," he agreed. "Sounds like a real movie house."

"Yeah, Smallville needs one. I don't know why we didn't use the old one more. The cow tippers of Smallville need something else to occupy their time with." She grinned mischievously and Lex laughed.

Lana took a sip of her coffee and froze. Lex followed her line of sight to see Edward Teague standing in the doorway of the Talon. He hadn't shaved, and his clothes were wrinkled.

"Is there anyone else here?" Lex asked Lana quietly.

"No," she whispered back.

"Mr. Teague," Lex said, moving to stand in front of Lana. "What are you doing here? Do you know that there is a restraining order against you? You're not allowed within 100 feel of either myself or Lana."

"Restraining order?" Edward repeated, cackling. "It's just too bad that my wife and son didn't have one against your little girlfriend there."

"Edward, Jason killed Genevieve."

"No!" shouted Edward. His eyes were wide open, and his body shook wildly. He was clearly out of his mind. "No!" he shouted again. "She did it! She killed them both! And you helped her cover it up." He swayed a little, as if maybe drunk and Lex began to get very nervous.

"Edward, you're not seeing things clearly right now. Calm down, and let me get you some help." He stepped toward the crazed man with his hands up in an effort to restore peace, but Edward showed no sign of relenting.

"You're just like your father!" he screamed, as he closed the distance between himself and Lex slowly. "All the lies! Your mother knew, she tried to kill herself because of it."

"My mother would never do that."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I tried to help her. . . my wife. . . but she was just a whore, just a whore!" He put one hand to his head, as if trying to straighten out his clouded thoughts within, and with the other he pulled a pistol out of his jacket pocket.

Lex immediately backed away from Edward, and towards Lana. "Edward," he began.

"You shut up!" Edward screamed. "I won't hear any more of your lies! Not from you, and not from your whore!" He aimed the pistol at Lana, and before Lex could shout at her to get down, he pulled the trigger twice. The blasts echoed through the empty building, and Lex whirled around to look for her. She stood motionless, her eyes frightened.

Another blast rang out as Edward Teague put a bullet in his brain, his blood spattering over the white wall. A quick look, confirmed that he was dead, and Lex's attention went back to Lana.

"Lana," he said, walking towards her. Her face went pale, and she looked down at her body in shock. It looked normal, and Lex was relieved. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over.

"I guess so," she said in a small voice. Her eyes were wide and expressionless until suddenly they squinted at something on the floor.

"What?" Lex asked, looking down. Two red dots were next to Lana's feet, and as he watched, another dripped down. He lifted his gaze to see Lana's hand covered in blood. "Lana. . ." he said, as he opened her black jacket. A crimson stain was spreading under her shoulder, and another just under her rib cage.

"Oh my God," Lana managed to say. She lifted her eyes up to Lex, and started to say something else, but her body suddenly gave out, and she drifted slowly down. Lex wrapped his arms around her, and set her down on the floor carefully, his eyes filling with tears.

"Lana, it's going to be okay," he told her. He pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance, and then covered her wounds with his hands, applying pressure.

Lana began to cry. "I don't want to die," she said in a breathless rush.

"You're not going to die baby," he said, kissing her. "You're going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine." Despite his smile, tears freely flowed down his cheeks. He was so close. . .so close to getting what he wanted. This couldn't be happening.

Lana began to grow weak, and Lex silently cursed the slowness of the Smallville General EMS. There would be Hell to pay if she. . .

Blood covered his hands, and it occurred to Lex idiotically that this was how it all started. With Lana's hands covered in blood. He looked up at her face, and his spirit fell. Her lips had gone over white from loss of blood, and her eyes were staring into his. She'd stopped crying, but tears still covered her face. Everything was suddenly so still, and all Lex could hear was his own heartbeat and her labored breathing.

"Don't leave me," he whispered to her, and she gave a small smile.

"I love you," she said. Lex had never been so pleased and so heartbroken at the same time in his life. He leaned his face down to hers, and struggled to hold onto himself. His composure was rapidly deteriorating, and he couldn't stop the sobs from coming.

"I love you too," he said. From the distance, an ambulance wailed, but Lex couldn't focus on that. Everything that he had, all that he cared about most in the world was slipping through his fingers.

And there was nothing he could do about it.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: Every Mile is Two in Winter**

Lillian Luthor stepped out of Claire's office and looked around. The place was exactly as she imagined. She walked slowly up the staircase to room number 17, and took a deep breath. Everything she was planning to say to them went flashing through her mind, but still she was scared. Letting the rage she felt control her, she put the key in the lock and opened the door.

Lionel looked up from the petite woman's bosom with a scowl on his face, but when he saw Lillian, he paled visibly. "Lily. . ." he said. Expressionless, she stepped into the room, and shut the door behind her.

"Lionel," she said calmly. She looked at the prostitute Lionel hired, and wondered what her specialty was. What was it she could do that Lillian herself couldn't?

"Lily," Lionel said again. He stood up and discretely adjusted his clothes. "What are you doing here?" he asked stupidly.

"I wanted to see how you were spending your evenings," the red-haired woman answered. Her body was stiff, and she stood there, rooted to the spot.

"This isn't. . ."

"What it looks like?" Lillian completed. "Why, Lionel. You wouldn't be lying to me again, would you? Because it looks as though you're buying prostitutes again, after I distinctly told you to stop."

"We should go home, and discuss this there."

"Why? You can't share your dirty little secrets with your whore? You were ready to share your body with her."

Lionel sighed, and walked towards her. "Lily, come on, we can talk about this later."

Lillian's composure began to crack. She was so angry she could barely breathe, and it made her manic almost. Why was this happening to her again? Why did she let it? How did she get caught up in this in the first place?

"You promised me that this wouldn't happen again. After the last mess you got us into. . ."

"I haven't had any contact with her," Lionel assured her, but she wasn't convinced.

"You know, somehow I expected it to be her in this room." She walked around the couple, and towards the balcony. "I can almost see her here, hanging over the balcony completely nude." She turned and gave him a wicked grin. "I imagine you would have quite enjoyed that."

"Lillian, there's no reason to bring that up again. It's over and done with."

Her gaze turned steely. "Over and done with?" she grated out. "I have to see her several times a week. Genevieve D'Aubigne, your favorite french whore. Mrs. Teague at all of the fundraisers and productions. Mrs. Teague that I have to smile at and talk to. Mrs. Teague who has a young son that looks suspiciously like my husband!" Her voice raised at the end of her tirade, and by now her cheeks were red with passion.

"I told you Lily, Jason is not my son."

"I know that he is not Edward's child, Lionel."

He put his hands up to try and calm her down. "You're right, he's not, but I don't know who is. Could have been anyone, but I made sure that it wasn't me. I've had his DNA checked against mine to be sure."

Lillian shook her head in disbelief. "You even suspected? You were with her that much?"

"It wasn't what you think. I was helping her. . ."

"I'm sure you were."

"She was hurt, Lily, you don't know what Edward does. . ."

"I don't care. If he was so terrible, then why does she stay married to him?" She shook her head again, and tears began to spill. "And why do you keep talking to her?"

"Lily. . ."

"Stop calling me that!" she screamed, putting her hands over her ears. "I don't believe you. I don't believe anything you say." She kept shaking her head, and as Lionel crept towards her, she walked backwards onto the balcony.

"Lily, please, be careful," Lionel said. She was getting so close to the rail.

"I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to think about this anymore!" she shouted.

"You don't have to," he promised. "Come darling, we'll go back home. We have Lex to think of. He's only a boy Lily, let's go home."

The mention of Lex, sent a panic through Lillian that she couldn't get control of. She needed out. She couldn't do this. Couldn't watch this. Needed a way to go.

Before she could change her mind, she turned around and leapt off of the balcony onto the stones below. A red stain bloomed around her.

Lex's eyes shot open and he sat up in bed. Ever since his father finally told him about his connection to Genevieve, he'd been having dreams about the confrontation his mother had with him. In his dreams though, his mother always died, when in real life, she only had a few broken bones, which they blamed on a riding accident.

The revelation about Genevieve's past didn't surprise him, rather it made a lot of sense. The way she handled men, even her own son was very. . .professional.

Lex walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. He stared at his reflection, and couldn't help but see himself in the situation at Claire's. He could only hope that he had strength enough not to become his father in that respect.

"Are you okay?" Lana called from the bedroom. Lex wiped his face off with a towel, and went back into the bedroom.

"Yeah," he said as he got back into bed. Lana curled up next to him, and he put an arm around her, glad to have the support. It had been three months since she'd been shot by Edward Teague, and he knew that probably had a lot to do with why he was having the dreams. When his mother was on the ground bleeding, she always had Lana's face.

His mother had been weak, which he hated to admit to himself. He could only hope that Lana wouldn't be as well. He had hope though because being shot changed her. There was a hardness in her that hadn't been present before. A willingness to meet darkness on her feet. It was because of this, that Lex finally let her in on some of his more secret scientific projects, which she had taken to with a zeal that shocked him.

"Here are the latest poll numbers sir," his campaign manager said, handing him a piece of paper. Lex took them, and sipped his brandy.

"Things are going well," he noted.

"Very well sir."

Lex smiled when he looked at his copy of The Metropolis Journal. Editor-in-Chief Jay Zuckerman was a tough, but fair journalist, and he had given his newspaper's endorsement to Lex Luthor for Kansas State Senator. Not surprisingly, The Daily Planet gave its endorsement to his rival, Jack Jennings who they thought was more competent despite the scandal that surrounded his name. Chloe Sullivan was now working there, and she clearly stood with her paper on that issue as well.

Lex wasn't worried though, his poll numbers were amazing. They were already good before, but ever since Lana had been shot, they sky rocketed. Headlines demanded to know when they would be married, which everyone expected to be any day now. Lex still hadn't asked yet, waiting for the right time, and it seemed even Lana was becoming anxious.

After his manager left for the night, Lex poured himself another drink to settle his nerves. Deep down, he worried that she would say no. That she still had that fear inside of her, and if he pushed too far she would leave forever. He didn't want that to happen. He wanted her to stay and be happy and love him as he loved her.

Feeling as though he had stalled enough, he went to her office and knocked on the door. "Come in." she said.

He walked into the room with a smug look on his face. "I've got something for you," he said. She looked up from her writing, and peered at him, trying to get a read on the situation. Lex tried to keep his expression blank, but somehow she knew, and a huge grin spread across her face.

"Oh, yeah? What is it?"

He sat down in a large overstuffed chair and shrugged. "Well you have to come and see," he said.

Lana waited for a moment, and then ran over to him laughing, climbing into his lap. "Where is it?" she asked, searching his pockets. Finally she found it, and pulled a small black box out of his jacket pocket. She held it in front of her and exhaled slowly. "If this is a plastic decoder ring Lex, I'm going to be really mad."

His face held a mock look of disappointment. "Okay, well then let's go out to dinner instead. Give me that back." He went to take it from her, and she laughed, jerking it away.

"No!" she said as she held it out of his reach. She opened the box and stared at the diamond ring. Her body softened, and she seemed to melt in his lap, quiet and completely pliant. She lifted her eyes up to his.

He had a speech prepared, but the words left him at the last minute. All he could see were her eyes, and all he could feel was the thundering of his heart. She had the power to break him if she chose to do so.

"Lana," he said, finding his voice. "I love you. I don't want to ever live my life without you. Marry me. Be my wife."

Her eyes were wide, and it seemed she would never speak. "No," she said, and Lex's brain stopped functioning. _No. Really?_

"What? Lana . . ."

She shook her head, and laughed, tears forming in her eyes. "I wasn't ready," she said. "Ask me again." Tears slipped down her cheeks, and Lex felt his own well up. With his arms around her, he leaned in closer and whispered thickly, "Marry me."

"No," she said again, and this time he laughed.

"Lana. . ."

Her body was shaking lightly, and she looked deeply into his eyes. "Yes," she finally said, kissing his lips. "Yes." She kissed him again. "Yes." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips and his face and hands, repeating "yes," over and over again.

The excitement that followed the engagement announcement was infectious, and everyone in the mansion seemed to catch the fever. With people now comparing Lex and Lana to a young John and Jackie Kennedy, his seat in the Senate was practically confirmed. The election was still two weeks away, but for the first time, Lex wasn't worried. Everything was going smoothly, and maybe it was his happiness that clouded his view of the things going on around him, because somehow he missed the warning signs of impending disaster.

A young woman named Samantha, president of Students For Lex Luthor grew obsessed with him.

"You've lost your edge Lex," she said, glaring at him through wild eyes. "You've become weak." She walked up to him slowly, her hips swinging alluringly. "You need a woman who will make you strong again."

Lex kept an expressionless face, though inside he was laughing. "And you can do that?" he asked.

"Of course," she smiled. She was wearing one of his bathrobes. "I can prove it Lex. Prove how devoted I am to you." She opened the tie, and the robe fell to the ground exposing her naked body. She was actually quite attractive.

"Well, you certainly have done that," he quipped. "I have all of the enabling devices that I need though. Thank you." He picked up the robe and handed it back to her.

"Don't they say never to use your birthday as your security code?" she asked. "Or more specifically, your girlfriend's?"

"Fiance," Lex corrected.

Just then, because of course it would happen, Lana walked in. Lex was aware of how this looked, and he felt a flash of panic inside. _Fuck._

"Lana . . ." he said.

"What's going on?" she asked, a look of concern on her face.

Samantha giggled, and let her robe fall open a bit to show more skin. Lana looked her over, and returned her eyes back to Lex.

"Lana, she broke in here. She's a fanatic."

"I am not!" Samantha said. "He asked me to come here. I guess you weren't supposed to be home."

Lex shook his head. "She's lying. I don't know what she's here for, but she's dangerous."

"Oh you know what I'm here for."

Lana looked her over, deep in thought. Finally, she set her gaze on something, and her expression changed from calm to very angry. There was no way for Lana to know that Samantha was a murderer. Lex had only just found out himself when she confessed to him. But still, something caused Lana to pull the gun out from behind her back and aim it at the woman. Before Lex could even process what she was doing, Lana shot her.

Samantha stumbled and fell to the ground, her robe falling all the way open. An ugly black hole opened her chest up, and blood began to seep from the wound. Lana stayed calm, and Lex moved to her side to see if she was okay. She was.

"Lana. . ." he started.

"That bitch took my bracelet," she said, looking at her. Lex glanced down at the dead woman's wrist to see the bracelet he had rescued from the Talon. Feeling it was the only appropriate thing to do, he knelt down and removed it for her.

"Thank you," she said.


	19. Chapter 19

**Epilogue: Only the Beginning**

Present Day-

Lana blossomed without the worry of the Genevieve Teague investigation. Socially, she was becoming a very popular person, and her attributes were spreading through Metropolis like wildfire. She still continued her work at the museum, and became involved in several charitable organizations, most which helped disadvantaged children. Now that she was a Luthor, she was discovering that there weren't many doors closed to her anymore.

Unfortunately, Lana's father was absent in her life. He was not able to shake his fear of her marriage to Lex and stayed away. She ignored his pleas not to contact her siblings though, and gained their mother's permission to meet them. She regularly talked to her sister, Lindsay, and sent her gifts in boarding school. Her brother Jackson was less interested, but he was young yet, and Lana was patient.

Nell became a more attentive Aunt, and they spent a lot of time together, shopping and going to the theater together. The person Lana spent the most time with though, was her new best friend Rebecca Faulk. She had given birth to a son, and named him Nicholas, famously proclaiming that her son would marry a Luthor if only Lana were to give birth to a little girl.

Lana grew very accustomed to her new surroundings. She even managed to get along with Lionel, which was amazing. They played cards in the evening, and often Lex could hear her scream out, "Lionel, you're a goddamned cheat!" To which he would laugh, and say that she was just a bad loser. The truth was a little of both.

It had been like pulling teeth at first to get her to spend money, but she was definitely warming up to it. One thing that she'd never claim to absolutely love were the gifts she received. Companies sent books, music, tickets to events and other freebies in the hope that she'd simply talk about it to other people, promoting the stuff. Also, because she was so constantly captured on camera by the paparazzi, vendors from the best boutiques would send her clothes, jewelry and other items to try out. If she didn't like them, she sent them back, and if she did, they sent the bill to Lex. Her old bedroom had now been converted into a dressing room, and Lex had a door put in their bathroom to connect to it.

Lex could see that the day was fast approaching when her fame might actually eclipse his own, and that was something he truly looked forward to. Well, for the most part anyway.

He walked down the stone path of the now completed Japanese Garden. It was dusk, and the lanterns glowed softly, throwing their light over the pink rhododendrons. He found Lana on the humped bridge that crossed the pond, looking out over the water with a hand covering her swollen belly. Their baby was due in another 10 weeks.

Hearing his footsteps, she turned to look at him and smiled. "Mr. Senator," she greeted.

**THE END**

**Sources and Notes: **I had so much help while writing this story. I did research at the following sites...

For the city of Metropolis- http://en. ; http://supermanica.info/wiki/index.php/Metropolis

For Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet- ; http://en. Hatley Castle- ; http://www.hatleypark.ca/about-us/hatley-castle.htm ; the Charity Gala in Chapter 11, I referred to Smallville episodes Bound and Rogue, both which have such functions.

For the description of Chloe and Gabe's home in Chapter 7, I referred to Smallville episode Dichotic, which featured them living in Pleasant Meadows- a Luthorcorp subdivision.

For Chloe's "vacation" spot in the Yukon- http://www.city.whitehorse.yk.ca/ ; ;

For the description of Lionel's guest house I referred to Smallville episode, Lucy.

For the mayor of Metropolis- http://en. the U.S. Senate- http://en. general Smallville stuff- http://smallville. Friedrich Nietzsche- http://en. ; http://en. ; _"__He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.__ **Friedrich Nietzsche**, Beyond Good and Evil, Aphorism 146"_

For Lex's Campaign I referred to Smallville episodes Exposed and Fanatic. And also- http://smallville. Claire's House I was heavily influenced by the movie Eyes Wide Shut (don't hate, lol ).

For Jason and Genevieve's relationship, I referred to Smallville episodes, Recruit, Commencement and Forever.

For the Metropolis Museum, I referred to Smallville episode Rogue.

For the Borough of New Troy, and the subsection Little Bohemia- http://en. , I also drew descriptions of Little Bohemia by comparing it to Greenwich Village in New York City.

There are many places where I took artistic liberties with the characters history. For instance, many things in Lex and Lana's shared past were invented by me (ex. Lana hiding her jewelry from Lex after he was briefly accused of being a bank robber; Lex watching Lana sleep in her drawing room during mid-season 3; Lex giving Lana a bracelet for her birthday after returning from the island). I tried to keep everything that I made up believable.

For the Luthor Estate, I referred mostly to the real place that it is based on, Hatley Castle. Most of the rooms inside, I invented (ex. Breakfast Room, Lana's Drawing Room). The Italian and Rose gardens outside are real, as is the description of how to reach them. The Japanese Garden is real also, and was designed and created in 1907 by Isaburo Kishida. All of the descriptions of the garden are as faithful as I could make them (having never actually been there to see for myself). I included some plants that I knew would be there, and I also added in some that are native to Kansas to keep it authentic.

Many of the episode titles came from poems and other works.

Chapter 12: Night, the Beloved - "_Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry"_

Chapter 13: Essential to the Whole- _"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. — Antoine de Saint Exupe'ry"_

Chapter 16: Staring Into the Abyss - _"__He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.__ **Friedrich Nietzsche**, Beyond Good and Evil, Aphorism 146"_

Chapter 17: Every Mile is Two in Winter - Quoted from _Jacula Prudentum_, 1651 by George Herbert.

Writing this story was an adventure! I posted chapter one on February 17, 2007 and wrote at a blistering pace to complete the story before the end of the Smallville hiatus. If it weren't for the support of my gal pals at DTS, I never would have finished. Thank you guys so much for all of your great comments and well wishes. I truly hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Britt, March 13, 2007


End file.
